


Simply Too Tempting

by DaniJayNel



Category: Motherland: Fort Salem (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drinking blood, F/F, Happy Ending, Hunters, Mating Bite, Secret Relationship, Supernatural - Freeform, Supernatural Creatures, drinking blood while having sex, hybrid baby, vampire Scylla, vampire/werewolf, wolf Raelle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:28:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 41,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23989633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaniJayNel/pseuds/DaniJayNel
Summary: Origin High is home to many types of students: the popular, the jocks, the nerds, and of course the supernaturals. Besides a secret group of hunters in training, Origin High also finds itself with a werewolf and a vampire.Raelle couldn't give two shits about the unspoken rule with her kind that they should hate all vampires. She's never met one, so why should she hate them? She's warned not to mess with the single vampire at her new school, and she's happy to obey that rule. But then she catches this vampire's scent, and it's intoxicating, and she's way cuter than expected.Scylla never thought she was capable of feeling so many things, until she meets Raelle, a werewolf that sets her heart ablaze.They're both too gay to even worry about the fact that they're meant to be enemies, and it doesn't even occur to them not to fall in love.
Relationships: Raelle Collar/Scylla Ramshorn
Comments: 484
Kudos: 1126





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So my lesbian agenda is to obsess over a gay ship and then consume as much fan content of them as I can, but I went through the fic tag and noticed that there's a very small amount of AU. This makes me sad. I always prefer AUs to canon, especially when there's angst and sad in canon, so I hope you enjoy!

Raelle never expected to end up in Origin Peak. After losing her mother against a warring pack, she had fled her pack, the people she thought were her family, and roamed the forests in her wolf form for so long she almost forgot what it was like to walk on two feet. 

There were, however, regulations in place for supernatural people like her. The local authorities tolerated her presence for a couple of months, but then the humans started noticing her, fearing her, and when she howled her grief up into the night she annoyed the entire nearby town. She was warned to find a pack and settle down, or they would be forced to hunt her.

 _Fucking hunters,_ she thought in disdain as she stared out the window at the looming, brick building in the distance. 

“Try to smile a little,” came the voice in the car beside her. Sarah Alder, her new guardian and the hunter general for Origin Peak. It was so absurd that it made Raelle want to laugh, but she didn’t. “You don’t want to come off as unfriendly.”

Raelle rolled her eyes. “Of course, I can't go scaring the weak little humans.”

The car came to a stop in front of the school. There was a parking lot filled with students around their cars, talking in groups and glancing over in curiosity. No doubt Raelle would _already_ be the talk of the school just because of who dropped her off. Everyone knew Sarah Alder. This town acted like she was their saint, and Raelle wouldn’t be surprised if some people secretly worshipped her. Little did they know their precious Alder was the most powerful werewolf in existence—so far—and that she was the reason that Origin Peak needed so much protection, and why there was such a heavy hunter presence.

Not that they were worth much. Raelle’s mother was proof of that.

“Have a good day at school, Raelle,” Alder told her in that terse, stoic way that made Raelle want to do something ridiculous just to see some emotion on her face. Was this what living for so long did to a person? If so, major pass.

“Thanks,” she mumbled and hopped out. Alder suddenly grabbed her hand, pulling her to a stop. Even if Raelle had wanted to pull free, she wouldn’t have been able to. Alder was incredibly strong. Her eyes glowed a bright, rippling blue.

“There is a vampire enrolled here,” Alder told her stiffly. “You will not cause issues with her. We have a pact with her coven.”

Alder’s grip loosened and Raelle pulled her arm free. “Fine.”

Satisfied that her threat had been delivered—because that’s what the intimidating eyes had been for—Alder gave a stiff nod and then left. Raelle didn’t stand there to stare after her, and instead started heading inside. People were shooting her curious looks, but she ignored them.

Maybe it was her bright eyes or the claw-shaped scar along the side of her jaw that made people stare—or maybe they just sensed that there was something different about her. Humans didn’t know about werewolves and the like, and the hunters made sure of that. 

But a vampire living here and going to Origin High? That was, well, interesting. Raelle knew that her kind and the vampires had been in a war for centuries, but personally she didn’t care for it. She’d never met a vampire to begin with, since both of their species were thinning out. Most of Raelle’s life had been shaped by the violent infighting that could happen in packs, and especially against others. 

She was certainly curious about this vampire, but she just wanted to finish her last year of school—lucky that she wasn’t held back for her months of being gone—and move on to the city where she could get some office job and keep her head down. She would never join a pack again. She was done with that way of life, done with their traditional bullshit and the arrogance that so many wolves had. They weren’t the most dangerous thing anymore—humans won that right. Humans with their weapons, their ignorance and cruelty. 

So, as Alder had coached her before they’d left home, she was to keep her head down. Be polite. Don’t draw any attention. Leave the vampire alone. Try not to piss off the teachers.

Raelle snorted. Right, like she was going to keep her smart mouth shut. There were just some expectations that were unrealistic. It was as if Alder was asking her to never shift again. There was absolutely no chance.

Raelle was so lost in her swirling thoughts that she never realized the bell rang. She was essentially late, on her first day—fucking great—and had to jog down the hallway to her classroom. Everyone was already seated inside, but she froze stiffly the second she stepped through the door. 

She smelt her before she even saw her. A warm, inviting scent. It was different from anything Raelle had ever smelt before, and for some reason it made her mouth water. Her eyes flicked upwards, and there at the back of the classroom was the little vampire, staring openly at her, too. Her nose was turned upwards, and she was likely taking in Raelle’s scent as well. 

Would they face off? Would the vampire get up and fight her? Were they fated to hate each other for stupid reasons that had nothing to do with them?

“Collar, I presume.”

Raelle’s attention ripped away from the beautiful vampire to her teacher, who was glaring at her in impatience. She swallowed.

“Raelle. Sorry I’m late.”

He sighed as if there were a million other things he would rather do than this. Raelle felt bad for him. “Just pick an empty seat.”

There was one across the room, so she quickly sat down and hung her bag from the back of her chair. When she curiously glanced behind her again, the vampire was staring out the window, no longer caring for her. 

Her scent still lingered at the back of Raelle’s throat. She was relieved, at least, to have sensed no malice from her gaze or her body language, and that they seemed to share mutual curiosity. 

So long as nothing went wrong, she could totally do this. 

* * *

“You the mutt that moved in?”

Raelle glanced up from her tray of food, a fork already halfway up to her mouth. She didn’t mask her sudden surprise. “Excuse me?”

“We were told that a wolf moved to Origin Peak. Since you’re new, I’m guessing it’s you.”

Raelle glared at the girl. She was quite tall, with pretty brown skin and dark eyes that were glaring right down into Raelle’s. There was unwarranted scorn there already, but Raelle just rolled her eyes. Beside her was another girl smiling nervously. She, at least, seemed to be a little embarrassed about the other girl’s rudeness.

“Don’t be so rude,” she chastised. “I’m Tally. This is Abigail.”

Abigail’s eyes just narrowed to slits. Raelle dropped her fork and shoved her tray away. “Fantastic skills of deduction. Yes, I’m your new pest problem. Will you let me eat in peace now that we’ve introduced ourselves?”

“What’s your name?” Tally rushed when Abigail opened her mouth.

“Raelle,” she sighed

“It’s nice to meet you, Raelle.” Tally held her hand out. Raelle stared at it for a moment, but then she accepted the shake and squeezed just a little too hard. To her credit, Tally didn’t flinch, but she did gently rub at her palm when she drew her hand away. 

“I assume you’re part of the hunters?” she asked them.

“That’s right,” Abigail answered. “We’re in training. And I wanted to come over here and personally threaten you.”

“Wow.”

“Abi!”

“If you dare hurt someone here, we will put you down like a dog.”

Raelle and Abigail glared daggers at each other until she seemed satisfied that her message was delivered. She turned on her heel and walked purposefully from the cafeteria. Raelle stared after her, a little shocked.

“What the fuck was that?”

Tally flushed. “I’m so sorry. She can be a bit... tense. Unfortunately we do have to watch you. But we don’t put wolves down.” _Not anymore_ hung in the air between them.

Raelle appreciated that Tally was at least being kind to her. A lot of the hunters joined the organization because they feared the supernaturals and wanted to gain some power over them. Hunters were the only ones that could take a supernatural out, if need be. 

Raelle sighed. “That’s okay. Look, I get that I’m this bad, scary werewolf. I’m just here to finish school so that I can eventually move the fuck out of this town and get a job.”

Tally slid into the seat beside her. “Why are you here if you seem to hate it so much already?”

“General’s orders,” she grumbled. 

Tally’s eyes widened. “General Alder?”

“Yeah. She’s, uh, sort of like an aunt. Sort of.”

“Oh, wow. I never knew that.”

“You know she’s a wolf too, right?”

“Yeah, of course! I admire her so much, though. She’s so focused on making sure her people don’t cause issues.”

Raelle wished the earth would just open up and swallow her whole. Why did people seem to think that she wanted to sit and have a conversation? She could tell that Tally was gearing towards personal questions so it was time for her to nope out as quickly as possible. 

She felt like she was being watched and glanced over her shoulder, and there sitting at a table all on her own as well, was the vampire. She wasn’t eating actual food, but drinking blood from a straw and Raelle noticed the disgusted looks that some people sent her. Those were all likely the hunters and the few that knew about supernaturals. She’d probably convinced everyone she was on some weird juicing diet. 

“You guys hate them, right?” Tally asked her, glancing that way as well. “Vampires, I mean.”

Raelle shrugged. “We’re taught to, yeah. I don’t. Never met one, so how can I hate them? They haven’t done anything to me.”

“Oh. Yeah, Scylla’s never hurt anyone. She’s a bit weird and very reclusive, but she’s been really nice the few times we had to interact.”

 _Scylla_. What a beautiful name. Raelle glanced at her again, and her heart skipped when she saw that Scylla was glancing her way too. Vampire hearing. Damn. She’d likely heard her own name. Had she been listening to this entire conversation?

Scylla gave her a little grin, something that said, _yeah, they bother me too, annoying right?_ Raelle couldn’t help but grin back. At that Scylla finished her blood and stood, and Raelle was stuck staring after her back. And maybe a little lower... 

“Damn,” she muttered to herself. 

Tally was giving her a delighted grin when Raelle turned forward again. She’d completely forgotten she was even there. 

“Have a thing for vampires?”

Raelle snorted. “No. But pretty girls? Yeah.”

She stood and headed over to a nearby bin to dump her tray. Tally followed close behind. 

“Why are you following me?”

Tally stopped short. “Oh, uh, I thought maybe you’d like the company. Abi probably went to train with Anacostia or something.”

“Look, we’re not friends. Thanks for being decent to me, but I’m fine being the lone wolf. Alright?”

Tally’s face fell with disappointment, but Raelle didn’t really care. She rolled her eyes and walked off, relieved when Tally didn’t follow her. The rest of the day was delightfully uneventful. She met Anacostia in last period, gym. She was polite and cordial, at least, but firm. They were running laps around the field until she was satisfied, and Raelle was delighted to be way ahead of everyone else. She was running easily without even a hitch in her breath, and she ignored the warning looks Anacostia kept sending her. 

_So I’m running abnormally fast, so what?_

When they were done, she changed back into her uniform quickly and left school grounds. She wanted nothing more than to just be alone with her thoughts again. Alder was supposed to fetch her, but she really wasn’t in the mood. Instead, Raelle disappeared into the trees behind the school. She undressed and folded her clothes neatly atop her bag. She straightened, relieved to feel the comforting sensation of wind against her warm skin, and froze when a familiar scent slammed into her. Seconds later, twigs broke. 

“Creeping up on a defenceless girl?” Raelle spoke up, not disguising the smile in her voice.

Scylla stepped away from a thick tree, her own lips pulled into a coy smile. Her eyes were incredibly bright, and Raelle could hear the slow thumping of her heart. She’d heard rumours that vampires were all dead, that their hearts stopped and they were frozen in time. Clearly that wasn’t true. 

Scylla’s eyes glanced down to her naked chest and widened slightly, and then she casually glanced away. “I didn’t realize I was intruding.”

Raelle didn’t cover her modesty. Wolves didn’t care about their nakedness, not since the shift required no clothes. She did enjoy how it was making Scylla visibly uncomfortable, though. 

“That’s okay. I was just about to go for a run.”

“A run?” Scylla’s mesmerizing eyes flicked to hers again. “So close to the school?”

“Why?” She stepped closer. 

“Hunters train close to here. If they see you they’ll report it to Alder, and I’m sure you don’t want them to... _put you down._ ”

Raelle grinned. “Were you eavesdropping on me?”

“A little difficult not to, with the vampire hearing.”

She stepped even closer, awed by how good she smelt. There was a tiny hint of iron, too, but even that somehow smelt nice. No one had ever said a vampire’s scent would be so alluring. It didn’t help that Scylla on her own was just incredibly beautiful, and Raelle was a disaster gay, ready to implode. 

“Do you always get naked before you shift?” Scylla asked her suddenly. Her eyes were pointedly glued to Raelle’s face, travelling no lower.

Raelle nodded. “Yeah. Torn clothes and all.”

“Makes sense.”

“Heard that vampires are actually dead.”

Scylla suddenly disappeared, and when Raelle pin-pointed her she was sitting high up in a tree, casually kicking her legs back and forth. Her eyes were shining in amusement, and her upturned lips looked incredibly soft. Raelle licked her lips. Her instincts were starting to kick in hard—but not the predatory ones. She was a little embarrassed to feel her mating instincts rearing up their ugly little head. Her teeth were already out and she could sense that her eyes were fully glowing. Scylla’s scent was a little too intoxicating. 

“Ones that are turned, yes.” Scylla disappeared again. “But I was born.” Her voice sounded just behind Raelle.

She spun around, heart thudding hard. They were so close that she could smell the scent directly from her skin, almost see the way her veins pulsed with blood. 

“I was born too,” Raelle told her a little dreamily. “Not many like me who survived birth.”

“I’m the first birth in nearly three hundred years.”

Ah, made sense then, why she was allowed such freedom. Raelle knew that she was one of a few, but there were still others out there at least. Not many children born of supernaturals survived—most not even to full term. They had no idea why this happened, why some kids were born naturally and grew to full maturity and could later on have kids of their own, who would carry on the supernatural genes. But since so few actually survived, there weren’t that many of them that did carry on that legacy. 

Raelle’s mother had been born, too. But she knew that her grandmother had been turned. She was a second generation, but she was also a pure-blood. She wasn’t part human at all. Pure werewolf, which made her survival even more peculiar. She took a lot of chances because of this, because she was considered a rare breed. 

_What will her children be like, if she were to have any?_ they would query behind her back. Fat chance, since she was the biggest lesbian to ever exist. No werewolf babies for her. _Although,_ she thought, staring at the curve of Scylla’s lips, _I’d certainly attempt to make babies with her. Big on the try part. Lots of trying._

“So we’re both special,” Raelle finally breathed. Her mouth felt incredibly dry, and she was growing a fever as she held off on shifting. Her attraction to Scylla was making her hormones mess with her wolf genes and that was making her ache and want to howl up into the sky. 

“You don’t hate vampires?” Scylla asked her.

“Why would I? Never met one until you.” Raelle smiled nervously. “And you’re, uh, really cute.”

Scylla’s smile was bigger this time, and delighted. Her eyes creased so adorably as she smiled, and it made Raelle’s heart skip a beat. This was getting very bad for her, if she was ever concerned about falling for someone that was supposed to be her enemy. 

“I think you’re really cute too.”

Raelle was horrified when she blushed. “Thanks. Um. I really need to shift, so...”

Scylla took a single step forward, bringing them even closer. Her scent enveloped Raelle, made her freeze in place. Scylla’s eyes were sparkling, inviting her in to drown, and Raelle would happily donate all of the oxygen in her blood. 

“I’ve always wondered what wolf blood would taste like.” Scylla licked her lips, and Raelle caught the flash of extended fangs. They were much thinner than her own, longer. The sight of them made Raelle shiver. 

“You’re welcome to snack if you want.”

At that, Scylla blinked in surprise. “You’d let a vampire feed on you?”

“Yeah. I heard it feels good. I’m curious too.”

Scylla licked her lips again, almost as if she was entirely too thirsty. Instead of closing the distance between them like Raelle wanted, she turned and headed away. 

“I’m not allowed to feed,” she sighed, forlorn. “But thank you, Raelle.”

Before she could ask where Scylla had learnt her name, she disappeared right before her eyes. Raelle was pretty fucking fast herself, but she knew vampires were much faster. 

Her body was burning with heat. She thought about Scylla’s words, curious, but decided to push them out of her mind. She shifted quickly, steam lifting from her body when it was done. She bent down to grab her stuff in her mouth, and then she went for a very hard, very long run. To clear her mind. To get Scylla’s scent out of her nose.

But Scylla’s eyes remained, right there at the back of her mind. 

_I’m so doomed_ , she thought in a groan.

* * *

Scylla had heard many vampires complain about how the wolves stank. Wet dog, they said. Dirt, they said. Like trash, they said.

Raelle smelt incredible. There was an earthiness to her scent, of fresh dirt and cut grass, of tree bark and hints of flower pollen. Then there was the scent under that, the scent that was just Raelle. And under that, was her blood.

Worse than actual animal blood, they said. It smells worse than vomit, they said.

Raelle’s blood had made her mouth water. Her slow heart had picked up and for the first time in a long time Scylla wanted to sink her teeth into warm flesh and feel the flow of hot, fresh blood pumping into her mouth. 

Raelle’s offer kept repeating in her mind long after their encounter, and Scylla found her attention drifting far away to thoughts of her. This never happened before. She had already accepted the fact that she was broken, that her emotions were limited and she would be controlled by her baser desires, left to be feared and watched for the rest of her long, long life.

But then came Raelle, who made her feel so many confusing things. Vampires tended to be cold. Because Scylla’s heart still beat, her blood still pulsed through her body, she was a little different to them. Many vampires turned their emotions off entirely and so felt nothing. That was how they could slaughter entire villages and kill so many innocents without even blinking an eye. But vampires were incredibly arrogant and traditional, and refused to ever accept things that were different or new. 

Many born vampire children were executed by their coven leaders. They were afraid, of course. That these babies would grow into creatures far more powerful. 

Scylla knew that her parents had intentionally conceived her, that they had wanted her and loved her. She also knew that her coven had executed them, and that if not for a close friend of her parents smuggling her out, she would have been murdered too. In a way, Scylla was in hiding. If the coven she was born into ever found her, they were likely to rip her throat out. 

She was very tough to kill, but not as immortal as her turned brethren. Her skin could still tear, her blood could spill. Because she was born, she was alive. She still grew, though at a much slower pace. She’d reached physical maturity already, so already her aging had crawled to a near stop. 

There weren't enough like her alive to study, so they had no idea how long her lifespan would be. She hoped not long. In fact, she kind of wished she had a human lifespan. Short, but with the promise of an end. Sometimes that’s all she wanted—an end. 

Alder had been the one to hide her and to give her over to a new coven set to raise her, but she was very strict in her rules. No vampire in Origin Peak was permitted to hunt, be it human or animal. There was a blood bank at their hospital that secretly gave out blood to the locals and the ones passing by. 

Scylla hated bagged blood. She hated how cold it was, how lifeless. When she was still a small kid, she hadn’t understood the way their world worked. There was just her sharp senses and her thirst, and she’d killed three people before her coven found her. Alder had been ready to forgive her, because she was just a child. There were no guidelines for raising vampire children. The entire vampire population was made up of adults who were turned and frozen. They never bled, never grew. 

But Scylla still remembered it, the taste of hot blood on her tongue. How it poured down her throat to warm her belly and her entire body. There was such a thing as blood drunk, especially for vampires that went so long without quality blood. 

They’d had to lock her up for three months before she had enough control over herself to go to school again. But even then, they were always afraid that she would attack someone. 

Scylla couldn’t help it. Vampires were predators, humans their prey. In her opinion, it was unfair to ask her to ignore the very thing she was. Were humans barred from slaughtering cows, because it inconvenienced the cows to be killed? Of course not. They bred them in farms for the sole purpose of slaughtering them.

That wasn’t to say that Scylla wanted human farms for the slaughter. Although many humans added no value, and she thought they would do better as a source of food, since they were doing nothing else of substance. 

But, when the humans started discovering the supernaturals, Alder had taken control of the hunter organization. Made by hunters at first, it was meant to hunt down and murder anyone they thought was something other than human. Now it was an order that monitored, guided and protected. 

_Or so they said._

Scylla still drank. She got her sustenance, but she had her instincts. She needed to hunt. Not to kill, but to chase, to feel the wind against her skin, hear the thundering heart of her meal. Vampires could hardly feed without killing, and that was the reason that it wasn’t permitted. Scylla wasn’t like a turned vampire, but she did acknowledge that she had killed three men without effort, as a _child_. 

What made her think she could control herself now? She still wanted to try though. 

And then that cute puppy had offered herself up, and it had taken every fibre of Scylla’s being to say no and to leave. Even though she had already drank that day, she needed an extra meal just to quench the sudden burning thirst heating up her entire body. 

At school, she knew what people said about her. She was weird; too pale, too still, somehow knew everything. No one could ever catch her off guard, because her hearing was so sensitive. It took a lot of effort to hide her abilities, to not smash her desk in half by accident, or yank someone’s hand off without trying, or respond to something someone was saying about her across the room, as if they were talking to her. 

Until Raelle. 

“Scylla?”

She straightened, eyes falling away from the little bird chirping on a branch outside and to her teacher, who was glaring. She saw that everyone’s eyes were on her, and she flushed in embarrassment. Rarely was she ever flustered like this, and that just made it worse.

“I know I don’t need to tell you this, but please focus on the class and not your daydreams.”

Scylla nodded. “Of course. I’m sorry, sir.”

Thankfully, he left it at that and continued his lecture. Something about human biology. She didn’t care, knew it all already. But there, sitting in the front row, was the cute puppy. Raelle was covertly staring at her and it made Scylla’s heart beat faster. 

Raelle sent her a wink and all Scylla could do was quickly look away. Her thirst intensified suddenly, and every heart in the room became a drum beat in her ears. She could hear the pulse of their blood, smell the tanginess of it. Her fangs grew out longer than ever and nearly stuck into her gums. She covered her nose and tried to stop breathing, but that wasn’t working. 

She could feel the veins around her eyes straining hard. When a vampire fed, their bodies enhanced a little so that they could hunt and defend themselves while they fed. The veins around their eyes bulged and darkened, and their eyes covered over in black. 

Her eyes were changing. In the middle of class. She could feel the bloodlust and it was making her shake, so she did the only thing she could think of, before she did the unthinkable. She fled the classroom. 

Her teacher called after her, but she ignored him. She barely even noticed someone in the hallway in her panic to get out, and slammed right into them. Firm hands gripped her shoulders and the delicious scent of blood washed over her.

“Scylla!” 

It was Anacostia, and she looked on in concern.

“Get me away from here,” Scylla breathed. “I can’t control it, I’m sorry.”

Nodding, Anacostia put an arm around her shoulders and guided her out of the building. They went into the cover of the trees, where the earthy scents there could cloud Scylla’s senses instead. Fresh air filled her lungs, and the haze left her, but her eyes were still the same. Even her nails had turned to claws, and they’d never done that before.

“Do you know what’s going on?” Anacostia asked her.

She took in deep breaths through her nose. “No. I’ve never experienced this before.”

“Is there bloodlust?”

“Yeah.”

“Sometime triggered it for you.”

Scylla immediately realized what. Before she could say it, though, Raelle ran up to them. She immediately went to Scylla’s side and crouched down beside her. Scylla wanted to tell her to get away, but Raelle gently cupped her cheek and rubbed a thumb along the throbbing veins at the top of her cheek.

“What’s going on?”

Anacostia lifted a brow at them. “We’re not sure.”

“I’m fine,” Scylla hurried. Raelle’s blood smelt more tantalizing than ever, and Scylla could feel her control slipping. Raelle was looking at her with nothing but tenderness, and all she could think about was her blood. She grabbed Raelle by the front of her shirt and tugged her in close, baring her teeth. Anacostia made to get between them, but Raelle stopped her with a lifted hand.

“It’s okay,” Raelle said, her breath short. Scylla could feel the way her heart thundered. She smelt a little nervous, a little aroused. And still there, at her throat, her sweet blood. Scylla swallowed. “She won’t hurt me.”

“She might,” Anacostia urged.

“Oh please, I’m a wolf,” Raelle shot back, snorting. “Even if she attacks me, I’m pretty damn strong.” Her attention returned to Scylla, and she got lost in Raelle’s kind eyes. “Okay? You won’t hurt me.”

Scylla wanted to laugh. How did this puppy know that she wouldn’t attack her, rip her throat out? How could she be so trustful? 

“All I can smell is your blood,” Scylla mumbled softly. 

“Are you hungry?”

All she could do was nod. 

“We have extra blood here,” Anacostia told them. She looked uncertain, like she would intervene the second she was needed.

“Go get it, I’ll keep her safe here.” Anacostia didn’t move for a long moment. “I’m fine, go!”

Scylla laughed softly once Anacostia had left. “She’s never going to forget that you ordered her to do something.”

Raelle didn’t move a muscle, but Scylla let her grip slacken. She was still battling hard with herself, with the intense need to dive forward and press her nose to the pulsing point at her throat and then sink her fangs in. 

Eventually, Raelle sank down beside her, tightly gripping her hands. 

“You okay?”

Scylla breathed in shakily. “Not really.”

It wasn’t that she was hungry. The thirst wasn’t about that this time. There was the bloodlust, and something else, something she didn’t understand. There was something coursing through her entire body, making her burn up, making her teeth ache and her eyes shift. Raelle stared at her face, unflinching at the monster she saw there, and then she sighed and unbuttoned the shirt of her uniform.

“What are you doing?”

Raelle pushed her shirt off her shoulder and presented it. “Come on, drink from me. You need it.”

Scylla’s breath left her lungs. When she gasped in a soft breath, her tongue swiped across her sharp teeth. “I… I can’t, Raelle.”

“You won’t hurt me.”

“I’m not allowed.”

“Fuck the rules. You need it, Scylla. It’s not just about the blood, is it?”

How did she know? Raelle’s eyes were glowing too, and heat poured off of her body. She smelt warm and welcoming, like home. Scylla gravitated towards her, eyes glued to the smooth skin of her shoulder. 

“But, what if I can’t stop?”

“You will. But I’m also probably stronger than you. Trust me, I can handle myself. Quick, before Anacostia or anyone else comes by.” 

Scylla didn’t know why, but she trusted her. No one had ever looked at her with so much understanding before. It wasn’t pity at all. Raelle knew exactly what it felt like to be other; different, an outcast. 

Scylla had no self control left.

With a desperate groan, she fell forward and sank her teeth into Raelle’s shoulder. She didn’t even flinch, and instead wound an arm around Scylla to draw her nearer. She felt Raelle’s nose bury into her hair, and then that rich, warm blood hit her tongue and Scylla was consumed by it. Her body warmed as if it had been frozen this entire time. Her heart slowed to a steady, comforting beat, and her shaking disappeared. 

Instead of going into a frenzy and losing herself, like she feared, the more she drank the more she returned to herself. The haze of heat dissipated, and then she pulled her teeth free and swiped her tongue over the wounds. Her saliva would heal the wounds quicker, though they would still scar. 

She pulled away and wiped at her mouth, steady and in control of herself again. She had never felt so full before. The bloodlust was gone, and so was the constant itch at the back of her mind. Raelle fixed her clothing and buttoned up to her throat just as Anacostia got to them, and Scylla nervously licked her lips.

“Your eyes are back to normal.”

Raelle’s arm slid to her waist, and her touch was strong and reaffirming. “Told you I had this. She calmed down.”

Scylla stared at the bag of blood in Anacostia’s hands and she felt repulsed by it. Anacostia stared for a moment more, then her shoulders relaxed.

“Can you take her home?”

Raelle beamed. “Of course! Scylla, can you stand?” 

Scylla accepted the hand she offered and let Raelle pull her up. They went to get their bags and then they left together with a note saying that Scylla was ill and Raelle was her guide home. For most of the way, Raelle held onto her hand, and it was only when they paused in front of her home that she finally realized it. 

Her pale cheeks dusted over with red, and Raelle gave her a look of confusion. She stared at their hands, still tasted blood on her tongue. 

“I think I realize what happened to me,” she breathed softly. 

Raelle gently rubbed a thumb against her knuckles. “Yeah?”

God, this was actually embarrassing. Scylla never thought this would happen to her, not since she was born and not turned. No one knew if a natural vampire could even experience this, but apparently they could. And she had. And it was Raelle. 

“Scylla?” her voice was so soft, so gentle. For being someone so powerful, Raelle was the softest person Scylla had ever met. It made her chest ache, but at least now she knew why. 

“Vampires experience this thing where they imprint. Usually it happens with their sire, or with someone they bond with deeply, close to when they were turned.”

Raelle’s eyes widened a little. “So…?”

“I think I may have imprinted on you.” 

An imprinting was pretty damn intense, too. It wasn’t something as vague and breakable as human love. And didn’t have to be romantic, either. Vampires, despite their desire to kill and act as though they cared for nothing, were very social. They created covens with a lot of vampires to mimic a family. It was rare to really find a lone vampire. Even if they refused to join a coven, they usually had a partner. Bonds were important to vampires. It was right down to biology. Once a vampire imprinted, they would be unable to harm that person, would protect them by instinct and do everything in their power to make them happy, whatever that meant to them. 

That was why Raelle’s blood had brought her back to herself and not sent her on a killing spree. Raelle was looking at her with a little bit of terror, a little bit of awe. She was not running away, which was a good thing, but she was also not saying anything.

“That doesn’t mean romantically,” she hurried to say. “An imprint is not inherently romantic or sexual, it’s just, an important thing for a vampire.”

Raelle’s hand gently squeezed hers, and she cleared her throat. “I mean, can it be romantic?”

“Well, I…” Scylla’s words melted away. Raelle looked up at her, almost pleading, definitely embarrassed. She was still too enticing, and her lips too tempting. Scylla moved in closer, waited just a breath to see if she would reject her, and then closed the distance between them. 

This kiss was better than any she had ever experienced. Electricity sparked along her skin, in her veins and right down to her toes. She wasn’t sure which one of them moaned softly, but their lips went from hesitant to hungry, and then her tongue was in Raelle’s mouth, mapping the sharp edges of her teeth, sliding against her tongue, so warm. 

When they pulled away, they were panting harshly and Scylla had never felt so alive before.

“Me too,” Raelle finally gasped. She had Scylla’s face against her warm palms, and her expression was so tender that Scylla could weep, if she showed her emotions so easily. 

“You too?”

“Wolves bond too. I… never thought it would happen for me, and certainly not to a vampire.”

“I never thought I could even imprint on someone outside of my species.”

“Maybe because we’re born?”

“Maybe. Your scent drives me crazy. I’ve never smelt someone like you before.”

Raelle laughed softly and pressed their foreheads together. She brushed their noses, which was probably a wolf thing, but it delighted Scylla in its tenderness. 

“Yeah, your scent does crazy things to me too. I thought wolves couldn’t stand a vampire’s scent.”

Scylla couldn’t help but laugh. She pressed her face to Raelle’s shoulder, inhaled her scent and her warmth, and enjoyed the strength of her arms as they tightened around her.

“Not only are we of different species, but we’re born and we’re gay.”

Raelle laughed into her hair. “Fuck, you’re right.”

“Alder is going to be very unimpressed.”

“Hey.” Raelle pulled away, and Scylla glanced into her eyes. “We don’t know each other all that long, but I know that I want to know you. I want to find all the ways I can annoy the shit out of you.” Scylla laughed. “And I want to fall in love with you. I mean, I think I already am. But, like. Deeper. So I don’t give a shit what Alder or anyone else has to say.”

Scylla slipped her hands into Raelle’s and intertwined their fingers. “Deeper, huh?”

“You know what I mean.”

“I do. And I want that too. I have no clue how long I’ll live.”

“Me either.”

“But I’m sure we’ll have a very long time to find out.”

Raelle’s grin was mischievous, and then they kissed again, and it was hot and tender and Scylla started feeling an entirely different heat fill her body. She pulled away from the kiss suddenly, pleased when Raelle groaned and tried to follow her lips. 

“My house is empty right now.”

Raelle’s eyes popped open and then flicked over Scylla’s head, to the dark windows. Only a second went by, and then she scooped Scylla into her arms and started carrying her up the driveway. 

“You got to have a snack earlier,” Raelle puffed out, her heart pounding loudly in Scylla’s sensitive ears. “Now it’s my turn to have a treat.”

Scylla felt her face flush. She gave her keys so that Raelle could unlock the door, and then she laughed as she was carried all the way to her room, and then Raelle’s lips were on hers, and fingertips were gliding along her skin.

And for the first time in her life, she didn’t want a single thing to end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I also just say that Alder is my daddy and I'd let Raelle and Scylla hug me tenderly as I sob softly in their arms. I'm such a mess for them. Yell about these gays on my tumblr danijaynel if you have a need


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the one time where everyone yelling at me to continue with this inspired me enough to do just that. I didn't want to immediately continue with this because I'm trying to finish all my ongoing stories, not start more. But fuck I'm so gay and Raylla is just *chefs kiss* and so here you go.

Raelle noticed a strange scent in Scylla’s home the moment they went inside, but she was too focused on the warm girl in her arms to even think about it. Once they were in bed, all other thoughts completely fled Raelle’s mind.

They were kissing hungrily, Raelle’s body quivering with need and incredibly hot to the touch. Her heart was pounding too fast, and with every brush of Scylla’s skin against her own, she felt it like she hadn’t ever known such a touch before.

It was indescribable, and the very small part of Raelle’s brain that was not currently melting in an aroused mess told her that she would need to actually talk to Scylla about this—it wasn’t normal.

“Raelle,” Scylla gasped against her mouth, arcing up into her.

Raelle pulled away from Scylla’s burning lips to sit up, and then she smirked and ripped her shirt clear off. Scylla’s eyes widened.

“Show off,” she laughed, her eyes crinkling in that same way that made Raelle feel weak.

“What? I can rip yours too.” She gripped the edge of Scylla’s shirt, but pale hands knocked hers away—and interestingly, there was considerable strength there—and Scylla sat up as well. Her arm wound around Raelle to stop her from falling backwards, and then they just ended up kissing again, their breaths turning haggard as they each tried to devour the other.

Raelle growled softly, deep in her chest, and she felt Scylla shudder against her. This was so new and exciting. Raelle had been with a few wolf girls and plenty human, but never a vampire. Never a _natural_ vampire. Her instincts were telling her that there was something very different about the sudden supernova of this, but she was far too gone on her need to care. Or be clear headed. When did she ever really think things through first?

“I want these off,” Raelle whined playfully, tugging Scylla’s shirt again.

Scylla pulled away, rolling her eyes—but leaving that charming smirk. “If you insist.” She lifted her shirt off in one fluid motion, and then Raelle was left speechless atop her lap, staring in awe at the beauty of her bared chest. She wasn’t wearing a bra.

“Oh wow,” she blurted.

Scylla’s ears burned pink. “Oh wow?”

“You’re like... the exact reason I’m a lesbian.”

Scylla feigned suspicion, and then she dissolved into the most adorable laughter. Raelle honestly felt completely off guard suddenly, and the strength of her emotions, of her physical attraction, was starting to scare her. But she refused to let that taint this sweet moment, especially since the real world would bleed into this very soon.

Deciding to take control of the moment, Raelle surprised Scylla by pushing her down onto her back. Scylla tensed as if she would flip them over to gain the advantage, but then Raelle pulled her leg up against her with her fingers curled around Scylla’s upper leg, and tasted the skin between her breasts. Scylla’s fight left her in a shuddering breath, and she completely melted against the mattress.

Raelle could taste her sweat, and it was weirdly intoxicating. She didn’t let herself think—was tired of all the goddamn _thinking—_ and released Scylla’s leg to instead cover her breast. She felt a hard nipple press against her palm, and this made _her_ nearly unravel. She moaned softly, her body shuddering.

“I think I may just completely dissolve into a puddle right here on my sheets,” Scylla mumbled softly. “You’re driving me crazy.”

Raelle pressed another kiss against her chest, so gentle, and moved higher, gently moving with her lips as she did so until she could kiss Scylla again, pour every bit of these strange new feelings into it. By the time she pulled away to run her tongue along Scylla’s throat, she was shuddering against her, hips lifting up as if she was desperate. They were still somewhat clothed, and that wouldn’t do.

“I’m sorry,” Raelle mumbled drunkenly.

Before Scylla could ask what she meant, Raelle ripped the last of their clothing off. She dropped down against her, moulding their bodies together, and swallowed the surprised moan that slipped from between Scylla’s pink lips.

“Is this okay?” she breathed.

“Mm, perfect,” Scylla replied, her teeth digging into her lower lip—fangs out.

Raelle stared at them and started caressing the side of Scylla’s hip with her fingertips. There was an idea bouncing around in her head despite all of the hormones, and it only served to make her hornier.

“Scylla, I have a suggestion that might be weird.”

Scylla’s eyes blinked open. She was so flushed, from her chest up to her ears. Her breasts heaved gently as she tried to breathe, and she was so breathtakingly beautiful. Raelle wished she could pull away completely to study the pale length of her, but she couldn’t. The warmth of her was too good to move away from.

“I can handle weird.”

“Are you sure?”

Scylla lifted a brow.

Raelle tried not to grin and failed. She lifted her trailing fingertips, circled a breast, a firm nipple. Scylla’s breath hitched.

“I’ve heard some vampires like to feed when they have sex.” She heard the distinct sound of Scylla’s heart thudding faster. “So, do you want to?”

She bent down, ran her lips along Scylla’s throat. Scylla’s breath kept stuttering, and Raelle found her lack of control adorable.

“Do what, exactly?” she uttered in a short, haughty breath.

Raelle gently bit down on her neck, the edges of her sharp fangs not quite breaking skin, but the promise very real. “Do you want to feed while I’m inside of you?”

Scylla sucked in a sudden breath, but Raelle caught the scent of her arousal thickening. She licked her lips hungrily and lifted far enough away to search Scylla’s face, to make sure she wanted this and wasn’t just saying so.

Desire clouded her face, and her eyes were completely black. The veins there were pulsing, and it looked a little painful. Honestly, Raelle had always thought that vampires sounded scary. And sure, Scylla’s beautiful face took on a menacing look with her eyes like that, but she wasn’t afraid. It fascinated her, and she liked to think that Scylla was just as dangerous as she was.

Scylla seemed a little hesitant. Raelle didn’t know exactly what her rules were, and she knew that she wasn’t allowed to feed on someone. This was technically breaking the rules again, but so long as no one found out, they were fine. She completely trusted that Scylla wouldn’t go berserk on her, and even in the strange event that she did, Raelle was very strong. Certainly strong enough to fight off one too-horny vampire.

Scylla swallowed thickly. The cords of muscle at her throat moved with the action. She opened her mouth, but for a second no words came out. There was a moment that Raelle considered retracting the offer and apologizing, figuring that Scylla didn’t know how to reject her without ruining the moment.

But then Scylla nodded, and her heart was beating faster than Raelle had ever heard. The heat washed back over her immediately, thick and cloying and absolutely consuming. Raelle only grinned in satisfaction for a split moment, then bent her neck to offer her shoulder and found her hand between Scylla’s legs.

She was incredibly wet and astoundingly warm, and the sharp pain of Scylla’s teeth penetrating her skin was just as intoxicating as the sensation of her fingers penetrating Scylla. They both moaned loudly together, and then it was almost a blur after that.

Raelle felt a rush fill her veins from where Scylla fed from her, and that fuelled the desperate pumping of her fingers. Scylla quivered around her and jogged her hips hard, meeting halfway for every thrust. Before long she was using three fingers and then Scylla was coming hard around her, fluttering wildly and twitching as the orgasm washed right through her. Raelle could smell the intensity of it, and it sent her into an orgasm of her own just from the intensity of the entire thing.

Scylla’s teeth slipped from her shoulder and she dropped back, arcing up as she shuddered in pleasure. Blood steadily leaked from the wounds, pooling against Scylla’s chest and onto the sheets, but neither of them cared. They kissed, tongues sliding together, and it tasted of sweet blood.

Scylla wrapped her arms and legs around Raelle’s body, holding her impossibly close as if they could merge into each other and become a single being. Raelle still gently thrust into her, but slowed when Scylla’s orgasm passed and she relaxed, collapsing back down, her hold slacking and falling away.

They were a mess of thundering hearts, sweat slicked bodies and haggard breaths. There was a bit of blood everywhere, and Raelle battled the incredible urge to sink her teeth into Scylla’s perfect, pale throat. Her teeth were out, sharper and longer than ever, and she saw her own eyes reflected in Scylla’s.

They were glowing brighter than she had ever seen them. She was desperately resisting the urge, and a growl started deep in her chest.

She didn’t know if her bite would hurt Scylla or not. If vampires could heal from it normally, and she didn’t want to take the chance. Her own wounds had already sealed up, and her blood was starting to dry.

Puffing on pained breaths, Raelle dipped her head, pressed her lips to Scylla’s throat. Scylla swallowed. Raelle opened her mouth, let her teeth graze across her skin almost hard enough to hurt. Scylla only shuddered against her and whispered her name, like she wanted it. Wanted to be marked. Raelle squeezed her eyes shut and forgot all the reasons that marking Scylla was a bad idea.

Her control slipped away entirely, and just as she started pressing her teeth in—doing the unthinkable—a cold hand grabbed the scruff of her neck and she was lifted off of Scylla like she weighed nothing.

One second she was about to bite into a vampire snack, and the next she was slammed into a wall and kicking her feet, hands scratching at the fingers curled around her throat. Dark red eyes glared furiously at her, and a sharp, cloying scent burned into Raelle’s nose.

“Jack!” Scylla cried from the bed. In a second she appeared right beside them and grabbed hold of Jack’s arm. “Let her go!”

Jack looked to Scylla, at her blood soaked body, the wet redness around her lips. Her eyes narrowed to slits. “Not only have you broken the treaty, but you’ve fed on a _wolf_.”

She said the word like it tasted bad, but thankfully released Raelle. She slid to the ground, coughing and rubbing her throat. Scylla immediately crouched down beside her and cupped her face to inspect her for injuries.

“Are you okay?”

Raelle took in a shuddering breath. “Yeah, I’m fine.” She looked up at Jack. “Who the hell are you?”

Scylla pulled her hands away and sighed. “She’s my guardian.” Seeming to finally realize her nakedness, Scylla covered her chest with her arms and looked down, away from Jack’s angry gaze.

“You need to leave, mutt,” Jack growled at her.

She was... strange. Raelle knew immediately that this towering woman was a turned vampire. Her skin was deathly pale and her eyes a dark, menacing red. Her lips were nearly blue, and only Raelle’s incredibly sensitive hearing caught the faint flutter of a subdued heartbeat in Jack’s chest. So that’s why people thought vampire’s were basically dead. Their hearts just beat incredibly slowly.

Other than her physical appearance unnerving Raelle, her scent was disgusting. It was sharp and it made her nose twitch, and she wanted nothing more than to race from the room. It was only Scylla’s soft breaths beside her, and the clear stress on her face, that made Raelle stay.

“I’m not going anywhere,” she growled back. “You can’t just attack me for no reason!”

Jack bared her fangs and instinctually Raelle let out a deep growl that shook right through her body. She semi-shifted, eyes flashing dangerously, muscles bulging, claws extending. To her satisfaction, Jack froze and made no move closer.

“My reason is that you were defiling my charge and about to mark her. How long have you even known each other? Did you even stop to think about what you were doing?”

Raelle looked away, suddenly ashamed. Jack was right. She had been about to do that, without even talking to Scylla about it.

“And you,” Jack continued, her voice low but deadly as she directed it at Scylla, “fed on a wolf? What on earth compelled you to do something so dangerous? Did you not know that our bites are lethal to each other?”

Their heads snapped up, and Raelle looked into Scylla’s eyes. Already the wound on her shoulder had sealed up, and she was just covered in her dried blood. She felt completely fine, though. God, she’d almost bit Scylla! What if she had, and it had accidentally killed her?

Anxiety filled Raelle’s body. Her temperature rose and she needed to shift. Scylla looked paler than usual, panicked. This clearly hadn’t occurred to her either.

“I, uh,” Raelle started, standing. “I’m gonna go.”

“Raelle, wait—”

Before Scylla could stop her, Raelle fled. The second she was in the trees behind Scylla’s home, she shifted in a blast of steam and then sped through the trees. She let out heavy breaths through her nose and focused on the rhythmic sounds of her paws slamming against the ground. Before she realized it, she had run all the way to Alder’s home. She wasn’t there, of course. Raelle shifted back once she hopped into the yard, and then she broke in through the kitchen window. She had left her bag by Scylla’s, and she didn’t want to head back there quite yet.

She paused inside of the kitchen, shoulders heaving with her breaths. Now that she was away from Scylla, she could think a little clearer.

Why was she so quick to help her? Why did she want to protect her so much? Why did Scylla’s scent make her feel like the only thing in the world that mattered, was her?

Raelle bit down on her lip as her thoughts raced through her mind. She didn’t want Alder to get home and see her this way—naked, confused, covered in her own blood—and so she went for a hot shower and then dressed and collapsed on her bed.

Jack, a turned vampire had smelt horrible to her. The scent physically repelled her.

But Scylla, a vampire born naturally, attracted her so strongly.

Was it because they were born? Was Scylla just an entirely different type of vampire? Would all wolves feel so enamoured by her scent, by those beautiful eyes and that jawline, and the way her eyes crinkled and—fuck, Raelle was such a u-haul lesbian.

She covered her face with her hands and groaned. She was supposed to keep her head down, not get into a hot and heavy affair with the local vampire.

But still, Raelle’s chest tightened painfully, and she felt bad for how quickly she had run away. She knew that Jack would probably have physically removed her if she didn’t leave, and that she likely wanted to yell at Scylla until she was satisfied. Would they be forbidden from seeing each other?

It was literally her first week here. And what a hell of a week it had been so far.

* * *

Scylla nervously licked her lips and tasted Raelle’s blood. She was full—incredibly full. More satisfied than she had ever felt in her life. Before, there had always been an itch in her throat, a burning in her stomach. Now it was all gone.

As soon as Raelle left, Jack disappeared into the house so that Scylla could shower and throw her sheets away. There was blood everywhere, and it horrified her a little to think that she had bitten Raelle so deeply to make her bleed so much, and that neither of them had been worried about it at the time.

Despite her anxiety, she still felt so good from that orgasm. She’d been with a few human girls, but they were too fragile and she never enjoyed herself with them. Because of her strength, she had to be so careful not to break a bone by accident. Sex wasn’t exactly an activity that would be easy for her to practise control with, but Raelle hadn’t needed that. Scylla had completely let go, hadn’t worried that her hands would squeeze too hard, that a jerk of her hips would shatter or that her teeth would rip.

Sighing, Scylla entered the kitchen to find Jack sitting down at the dining table, nursing a glass of blood and looking like what she imagined a furious parent would look like. Her cheeks flushed lightly knowing what Jack had walked in on, but she was also nervous. She went over to the fridge to grab a bag of blood.

“Sit,” Jack commanded.

Scylla did so. “Jack, I...” Her words disappeared and she pressed her fingers into the plastic bag, watched the cold blood move inside.

“That was incredibly irresponsible of you, Scylla,” Jack told her. “What if she hurt you?”

“She didn’t. She’s the reason I didn’t hurt anyone else today.”

Jack lifted the glass to her lips, so Scylla sank her teeth into the bag and let the cold blood wash over her tongue, just for something to do. She wasn’t hungry, and she stopped drinking immediately and tossed the bag away, her lip curled in disgust.

Blood had never tasted so bad before. Jack stared at her curiously.

“What do you mean?”

“I nearly lost control today. I don’t know what happened. My eyes changed and I had to run out of class, and then Raelle was there and she calmed me down.” Jack’s expression didn’t change at all, and she wasn’t even breathing. Her stare was firm, so Scylla sighed. “She let me feed on her. It cured my hunger.”

Jack stood to dump her empty glass in the sink. “Cured?”

“I’ve never felt so full before.”

Jack finally seemed to relax a little. She straightened to her full massive height and ran a hand through her short hair. When Jack turned to face her, the red in her eyes wasn’t so bright. Good, that meant she had calmed down. Jack crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the counter.

“If a turned wolf bites a turned vampire, the wound festers and kills. There is a specific sort of bacteria in wolf saliva that reacts to the venom in our system.” She lifted a cold hand and pointed at Scylla. “But you don’t have venom running through your veins. You have blood.”

Scylla furrowed her brows. “So are you saying I could be immune?”

“We don’t know the reaction you’d have. That girl is the new wolf, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then we have no way to know how she would react to you. Your venom is different to that of a turned vampire. She might die by tonight, or she might be immune.”

Scylla imagined showing up at school, only to hear that their new student had randomly fallen ill and died. It filled her with intense panic and grief, and Jack must have seen the look on her face. Her severe expression softened and she walked over to put a comforting hand on Scylla’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry, I should have warned you that she would be going to your school. We had no way to know how the two of you would react to the other.”

“What?” Scylla pulled away from her. “You knew, and you were watching?”

Jack nodded. “Alder was concerned that her wolf might cause an issue with you. We had the hunters keep a close eye on the two of you just in case, and they were ordered to immediately intervene should you get into a confrontation.”

Scylla didn’t like the fact that she had been watched like that. Being who she was, she would always have someone out there making sure she was obeying the rules. Since no one had said anything about earlier, Scylla knew that no one must have seen her first feed on Raelle.

“Will they keep watching us?”

Again, Jack nodded. “You’re both very important. We’re trying to understand you. Alder was interested in enrolling her wolf here specifically to introduce her to you in a low stress environment.”

So they were just some experiment? Scylla stepped away from her, eyes narrowing. The anger was starting to replace the guilt and worry. Jack just stared at her.

“Why would you let her do that?”

“I didn’t have a choice.”

“You did. You always have a choice. We could have left. You could have told us first.”

“Alder was firm. If we left without her say so, she would have her hunter units hunting us at every corner of the country. She would keep you locked away where they can observe you at their own leisure.”

The anger was boiling and simmering, but she forced herself to calm down.

Jack was the only reason that she survived her parents’ coven, and Jack had been the one to ask Alder for help in smuggling them out and helping them. She knew Jack cared about her more than she would admit. It wouldn’t help either of them for her to direct her anger at Jack, especially since Jack wouldn’t really care. It was easier for turned vampires to just ignore their emotions, whereas sometimes, Scylla felt too much too intensely. 

Her attraction to Raelle was a good example. 

The fridge blood from earlier was still on her tongue, tainting the aftertaste that Raelle had left for her. It spoiled her mood and deciding she was done, she left the kitchen to go to her room. Jack didn’t bother her again, and at some point she left. Scylla didn’t know where she went to sometimes, and Jack was so private that she never shared anything about herself.

Scylla stared up at her ceiling with her hands folded over her belly, and she wondered what it felt like having parents. The guilt started building inside of her—the guilt of being the reason her parents had died. Her existence had been their death. Had it really been worth it?

Jack told her that her parents had intentionally conceived her. Had tried for so many years, and were overjoyed when it finally worked. There were always whispers of some turned vampires still being fertile, but never any of them actually conceiving. Until Scylla.

It made her chest ache, and tears filled her eyes. She wondered if it was the same for Raelle, if the wolves hated her as much as the vampires hated Scylla. Did she have parents growing up?

Wiping her tears away, Scylla went to sit down at her desk so that she could focus on some of her homework.

The next day she was wound up and anxious. Jack didn’t say anything to her the whole ride there, not until they paused in front of the school.

“Be careful,” was all she said.

Scylla gave her a stiff nod, then she slipped out of the car with her bag over one shoulder and Raelle’s on the other. She thought maybe Raelle would drop by to pick it up last night, but she never did. She didn’t want Raelle to get into trouble for not having her bag, so her only option was to seek her out.

Scylla made her way into the school building. Many scents and sounds assaulted her senses, but she started picking through them for Raelle. She caught her scent quickly and it was familiar and calming. She tilted her head back and inhaled deeply. God, why did she smell so good?

Her mouth watered and her heart started beating just a little faster. She had a naturally slow heartrate, much faster than a turned vampire, but still dead compared to a human’s. And the wolves, their hearts were incredibly fast.

That first day when Raelle had stepped through the doorway, Scylla had been surprised by both her scent, and her racing heartbeat. She’d noticed right away that it just seemed to be a normal thing. It fascinated her.

Thinking of Raelle and smelling her scent made Scylla remember the day before, when they’d been pressed together, skin to skin, and Raelle had been inside of her. A shiver went through her body, but she opted to push those thoughts away and just focus on the task at hand.

Raelle was sitting in their classroom, her head down on her desk. Scylla paused right beside it and cleared her throat, but Raelle didn’t sit up right away. Her body jolted, then froze, and Scylla could hear her heart, the little tattle tale.

“Here’s your bag.”

Finally, Raelle sat up. Her eyes landed on her bag in Scylla’s grip, and then she reached out to take it. “Thanks,” she said.

Scylla studied her. Besides looking a little tired, she didn’t seem sick at all. That lifted Scylla’s mood a lot, but Raelle looked very nervous.

“Can we talk?”

People in the classroom were looking at them—specifically the few trainee hunters—so Scylla indicated towards the door. Raelle followed her gaze and then she stood and followed Scylla from the room down into an empty stairway. Scylla clasped her hands together to hide her sudden shaking fingers.

“Scylla, I’m so sorry I ran away like that,” Raelle rushed once they were in some privacy.

Scylla furrowed her brows. She hadn’t expected that. “You’re not going to tell me to stay away from you?”

“Why would I do that?”

She remembered the blood, the frantic way they had consumed each other. Raelle’s scent felt like a warm blanket enveloping her, and it was taking every single bit of her control not to step forward, close the distance between them and just sink into Raelle’s arms.

“Um, this… this thing between us, it’s… intense, and I fed from you without even thinking about it.”

Raelle nodded. “The bites healed.”

“They did?”

“The first one actually scarred, but the other one didn’t. It’s completely gone.”

Scylla nearly stumbled from the rush of relief. Raelle was quick to grab her hand to steady her, and the warmth of her skin was like a rush. Electricity sparked where they touched, but they didn’t pull away. Raelle took a tiny step closer.

“So my bite didn’t hurt you?”

Raelle’s gaze was intense. Her eye colour was glowing intensely, shifting and swirling, betraying the emotions she was feeling. “Not at all. It felt really good, even after.”

Scylla closed her eyes. “I’m so relieved.”

“But I nearly bit you, Scylla.”

They opened. “Yeah?”

“And Jack was right, you know. I nearly gave you a mating bite, and I didn’t even ask you or even think about it. I couldn’t even control myself.”

Raelle looked so distressed suddenly that Scylla gently cupped her cheek to lift her face, so that she could look into her eyes. With her other hand, she intertwined their fingers and gave her hand a squeeze.

“That’s okay.”

“It’s not okay, Scylla. We… we barely even know each other, and a mating bite is for life. It could kill you. What if I bit you yesterday and you were dead today?”

Scylla’s eyes dropped to her lips, and the memory of what they felt like assaulted her. Suddenly all she could hear was Raelle’s breathing and heartbeat, all she could smell was the scent of her and the blood in her veins. The best word she could think of to describe what she was feeling, was _longing_. Deep, incredible longing. It made her ache down to her very bones.

“You didn’t,” she finally responded. Her voice sounded strained, and she flushed at the look on Raelle’s face. “But I don’t think your bite would kill me. If mine didn’t hurt you, then yours likely won’t either.”

“A werewolf bite is entirely different. We don’t just bite to turn.”

“You bite to claim, too. I know.”

Raelle exhaled through her nose. “I can’t resist you.”

“About that…” Scylla glanced down the hallway, but she didn’t see any hunters in the area, and they were mostly hidden by the stairs. “Jack told me that Alder enrolled you here because of me.”

Raelle’s face filled with surprise. “What?”

“They were curious to see how we react to each other.”

“So they were watching?”

“Yeah.”

Raelle pulled away from her completely, leaving Scylla feeling awkward and suddenly cold. She clasped her hands together, just to have something to do with her hands. Raelle sat down on a step.

“Alder warned me to leave you alone.” She laughed softly. “She knew I’d likely completely ignore her wishes and do it regardless.”

“Do you think—?”

“That we’re feeling this way because of their little experiment?”

Scylla grew quiet and stared at her. Raelle gazed away from her, seemingly lost in thought. She rested her chin on her clasped hands, and her brows furrowed. Scylla didn’t know what else to do, so she stood there and studied her.

Raelle was really so beautiful. Exactly Scylla’s type. The scars at her jaw looked interesting, and she was saddened that she never took the time yesterday to run her lips along them. There was a lot she wished she could have done differently the day before. Certainly, she would not have fed on her, despite how good it felt. She would have told Jack not to bother her, and she would have taken more time to get to know Raelle, her body and her mind. It was too late for that now.

Her heart ached.

“We should probably stop interacting,” Scylla decided to stay. Raelle’s beautiful eyes flicked to hers. “They want us to interact. I don’t know what their reasons are, but I don’t trust Alder. I know Jack doesn’t trust her either, and they’ve known each other for hundreds of years. We shouldn’t give them what they want.”

“You’re right.” Raelle nodded, but her expression was pained. Scylla imagined her face looked the same. “Whatever this is, it’s clearly because of them. I mean, we’re different species. We’re bound to do entirely different things with our lives.”

“Yeah. We’re probably not compatible. This was just a weird thing that will pass.”

Raelle stood and wiped her palms against her pants. “Yeah, exactly.”

The bell rang and students started heading to their classes. They stood there for a moment too long, looking at each other. Scylla didn’t want this, but she didn’t want Alder to have whatever this was. It was fine. They didn’t know each other, and they could definitely move on.

“I guess, this is it then. Thank you, for yesterday, Scylla.”

Raelle held her hand out. Scylla stared at it, then accept the handshake. They held on for a little too long.

“Yeah, you too. It was, uh, great.”

Raelle looked like she would laugh, but then she dropped her hand and headed off to class. Scylla stood there for a long moment, her chest aching. For some reason, she felt like she had just lost something important and there was a new dull pain between her ribs. She listened to the sounds of the school around her—the footsteps, the swish of clothing and the chatter of talking, the scraping of chairs on hard tile and the clicking of pens.

She waited a few seconds more, then she returned to class. Raelle didn’t look at her as she passed by, and Scylla did the same. It was very difficult to focus in class, though, especially since she kept catching herself glancing to the front of the class.

They’d agreed to not speak anymore, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t look at her, right?

* * *

Raelle really had to reign in her anger over the course of the day. It was only Scylla’s scent, always near, but still too far, that kept her from blowing up and storming out of the school.

So, when school ended and Alder came to pick her up, she was absolutely furious. The second she got into the car, she felt herself snap.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” she growled at Alder.

Alder turned to her, surprised. “What are you talking about?”

“I know why you put me in this stupid school. What, did you want me to hurt that vampire or something? Who the hell do you think you are?”

Alder’s jaw muscles moved, which was the only indication that she was feeling any sort of emotional reaction.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Raelle. That’s ridiculous. Why would I put you in this school to purposefully endanger a vampire? You know I don’t care for any such vampire affairs.”

Raelle clenched her hands into very tight fists. She knew when she was being lied to, but she also knew that Alder was the most stubborn person she had ever met.

“You’re lying. Why did you want me to meet Scylla?”

At that, Alder lifted a brow and looked at her. “You know her name? Didn’t I ask you to stay away from her?”

Images from the day before flashed in Raelle’s mind, of being inside of Scylla, of her naked, pale skin and her soft lips. She swallowed thickly.

“People talk. I’ve got sensitive hearing.”

“I know you assisted her when she lost control of herself.”

“See, you’re watching us!”

“There is nothing sinister going on. By instinct the two of you are mortal enemies. Fault me for being concerned with your safety.”

“Then why the hell did you send me here? Why not to a regular human school _without_ a vampire in it?”

Alder sighed and turned onto their street. “Raelle, I don’t have time for your teenage tantrums. You’re seeing things that aren’t there. It was circumstances. Scylla Ramshorn happens to live in Origin Peak, and she just happens to go to your new school. I’ve only asked my hunters to watch that the two of you don’t confront each other, for your safety and everyone else. If it’s so much of an issue, I can always enrol you somewhere else.”

Raelle deflated. “I don’t care about her,” she lied right through her teeth. “And she doesn’t seem to care about me either. We’ve never even been near each other.”

Alder gave her that same look, the one where she knew Raelle was lying but wouldn’t say anything about it. That look infuriated her. “Then what is the issue?”

Huffing, Raelle grabbed her bag and kicked the door open. “Whatever, forget about it. I’m fine and you don’t need to take me out of Origin High.”

She slammed the door shut and marched inside to her bedroom. She still felt restless and angry, and her chest ached. She missed Scylla despite the fact that they were still strangers, and these new feelings made her anxious. She really wanted to head out and see Scylla, to kiss her again and hold her hand and just look at her, because nothing had ever felt so good as just looking at her face.

It was whatever. They wouldn’t give in and let Alder win whatever little game she was playing. They were fated to be enemies? So they would act like it. Raelle would ignore her, not even react to her. She would act like Scylla Ramshorn didn’t even exist.

She only lasted a single week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I complained in the first note but really, I'm very excited to continue with this. I've worked out a lot of the plot and it's gonna be juicy :))) Comments are very much loved and welcomed! If you pop in to my tumblr at danijaynel remember to say hi!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for this chap: attempted drugging/kidnapping/assault. Violence. A lot of mentions of blood.

Raelle couldn’t tear her eyes away. Scylla sat across the cafeteria on her own, staring down into the bottle she carried with her that was filled with blood. Even so far away, Raelle could smell her. It was only a day after their little chat and decision to ignore this fire between them, and she was already suffering.

 _I am overcome with longing,_ she thought to herself, and then cringed because that was so fucking corny.

The chair to her right scraped loudly and someone plopped down. Raelle turned to glare, and Tally’s friendly smile was there to greet her.

“Hey there, scary werewolf.”

Raelle sighed. “What do you want?”

“I just saw you sitting here on your own and I thought you looked lonely.”

Sighing, Raelle fixed her attention back on Scylla. She was now writing something in a book, lazily drinking from a straw. Raelle’s nose twitched as she picked up the scent of the blood, and for some reason she felt a passing wave of disappointment that it wasn’t hers that Scylla was drinking.

“I’m not lonely.”

Tally started eating. “Right, and you’re also totally not staring at the vampire like a lovesick puppy.”

Raelle blinked and looked away quickly. Tally gave her a grin. “Am I that obvious?”

Tally glanced around them like she was looking for something, then made her point by tilting her head. “Seriously, the hunters are all talking about it. They’ve got a bet running and everything.”

Raelle straightened. “A bet?”

Tally took a long drink of her chocolate milkshake. The slosh of the liquid was unnaturally loud to Raelle’s ears. “Oh yeah. Half of them think you’ll end up fighting by the end of the term.”

She glanced over to Scylla again, but she was absorbed in whatever she was writing. She had her chin resting against her palm and her elbow on the table, and Raelle admired the curve of her wrist, the paleness of her skin.

“Hello?”

She blinked.

“What?” she snapped at Tally.

“I know which side of the bet I’m on,” Tally quipped.

Raelle was steadily growing agitated. “Look, Tally, I appreciate that you seem to be concerned for me, but I’m totally fine on my own.”

“What is it with wolves and always wanting to be alone?”

“It’s not a wolf thing, it’s a Raelle thing.”

Tally did not seem very convinced, but Raelle wasn’t going to keep arguing with her. She decided to pull some of her school work out and actually try to catch up, since she had been ignoring it up until now. She needed anything to distract her from Scylla, especially since they were not supposed to interact and staring at her wasn’t helping her keep to that.

Tally didn’t try to talk to her again, she just continued eating her food and occasionally typed away at her phone. Raelle refused to admit to herself that it was actually nice not to be the only one at the table. All her life, she had been an outcast. Because she was born and not turned, her mother had insisted that she attend school like a normal person.

She wasn’t frozen in time like the turned, she was growing. She was probably at the end of her physical development already, but she was still only eighteen. Practically an infant to most of her kind. She was always treated that way, too. Like she was too young to understand anything, and too stupid to fend for herself.

The humans treated her differently as well, though theirs was mostly just instinct. They always sensed that there was something a little dangerous about her, and she unnerved them. Many times some macho male human had tried to intimidate her in front of his pals if she had just looked at him wrong, but Raelle only needed to straighten her shoulders and stare him down. Despite how much shorter she was, her presence was overwhelming, and the humans always backed down very quickly. But then—

 _Freak_ , they would say. _She just doesn’t look normal. What’s her problem? What’s her deal? Who is she?_

Raelle sighed and gave up trying to start her essay. She chucked her books back into her bag and opted to stare at Scylla again.

The uniform for this school was pretty standard, black skirts, white button-ups and black pull-overs and blazers. Raelle had decided to wear the black pants instead of the skirt, and she admired the fact that Scylla had as well. She had her blazer draped over the back of her chair and a pull-over on over the white shirt, but all Raelle could think about was ripping them off of her.

Scylla shifted, swept a lock of hair behind her ear, and then she glanced up. Their eyes locked and the moment was charged, almost frozen. Raelle felt her entire world zero down to just that single moment, to just her breaths and Scylla’s, and it was overwhelming.

Scylla gave her a heartbreaking smile, and then she glanced away. Raelle exhaled in a rush and relaxed her hand. She had accidentally made a hand-shaped dent in the metal table.

Tally, unfortunately, noticed the entire thing.

“Shut up,” Raelle grumbled half-heartedly.

“What? I never said anything.” She grinned broadly.

“You don’t need to.”

The bell rang, so Raelle hurried to get up and gather her things. She was more than ready to finish her last classes and go home. There was a hill with her furry name on it, and she was very excited to shed her skin and run around for a while until she forgot what this painful longing felt like.

“You’re not the only one, you know.”

Tally’s admission made her pause. She frowned at her. “What do you mean?”

Tally seemed to grow a little uncomfortable. “That’s different. Not... normal?”

“Okay?”

Tally stood and her hand went bone-white as she clutched at her bag strap. She wore the uniform pants as well—all hunters did, for easier mobility. “I have magic.”

Raelle’s brows lifted. “You’re a witch?”

“Yeah.” Tally’s smile grew sad. “Third generation. Not many of us left, either.”

That was... very interesting. Some of their ancient history told stories of the early humans who were gifted magic, and who used this magic to create what was known today as the vampires and werewolves. Some theorized that’s why they had the weaknesses they had, to compensate for their unnatural strength and lifespan. Of course, none of that could be proven, but there were still a few people born with magic in their blood. It skipped generations often, so for Tally to be a third generation meant that her bloodline was exceptionally powerful.

“That’s cool,” Raelle finally said. “What can you do?”

Tally seemed to fill up with air, as if she had been expecting Raelle to shoot her down. To be fair, she hadn’t been so kind to her so far. But this changed things.

“I’m a seer,” Tally explained. They started for the exit, since they were about to be late for class. “I’m able to see things an object or person has experienced.”

They slipped into the crowd and headed down the hallway. “So if you touched me, you’d see my whole life?”

Tally nodded. “It’s usually just a flash, and I can’t always make everything out. There’s a lot of information being crammed into my mind. It only helps when I have a specific thing I’m looking for, and then I can focus on that thread and usually make out important details.”

They turned a corner and Raelle’s senses filled with the alluring scent of Scylla, and then there she was, walking right towards them. Raelle couldn’t remember what Tally was telling her anymore, and she didn’t even care that she was being painfully obvious when her eyes fixed on Scylla and remained stuck there. Scylla stared at the ground as she walked, but when she passed by her eyes flicked up. She smiled that small, secret smile, and Raelle stopped in the middle of the hallway to turn and stare after her.

Carefully, Tally reached out and physically lifted her chin. She hadn’t realized her mouth had fallen open. Her teeth had grown out, and they nearly cut into her gums. When she turned back to Tally, she saw the reflection of her glowing eyes in Tally’s.

“Raelle thing?”

She closed her eyes and focused on calming herself down. She couldn’t go out for a run quite yet, so she needed to shift down if she wanted to go to her last classes. When she knew her eyes had returned to normal, as well as her teeth, she opened her eyes and exhaled.

“No,” she sighed. “A wolf thing.”

Tally gave her a look, but she clearly wanted to make a suggestive comment. She didn’t. They headed to class, which they seemed to share, and Raelle wanted to sit in a corner and press her face against the wall and howl softly until this tight feeling in her chest went away.

* * *

It was easy enough to say that she would pretend Raelle didn’t exist, but it was another thing entirely to actually do it. She certainly gave it a try, though.

Their fateful encounter was the Monday, and through the week Raelle would not stop staring at her. Her eyes were magnetic, and they pulled Scylla’s attention each and every time. She could physically feel Raelle’s eyes on her like a hand against her shoulder.

There was that, and also the thirst. The first few days she was perfectly fine, but by Friday she was so hungry that it was difficult to focus. She tried to drink regular blood, but all it did was dampen the hunger for a couple of hours. The cold, lifeless blood tasted more disgusting than ever.

She started to feel very cold, and that worried her. She hadn’t been bitten, so it wasn’t that. Was it maybe from the kiss? Had she been infected by something?

She swallowed, and her fangs ached. Somehow, she knew deep inside that it wasn’t related to an infection or anything. She was simply hungry for a certain puppy’s blood, and knowing the ecstasy of her had ruined regular blood.

So, on Saturday she decided to leave town under the cover of darkness. Jack had other things to do, and though she was only active at night, she was usually too busy to focus on what Scylla was doing. There was another town only an hour out, and Scylla made the run there in ten minutes.

There was a bar that she liked to frequent, filled with bikers and delinquents of all sorts. Many individuals attempted to sell all sorts of drugs to her, but they would not work on her. She couldn’t get drunk, either. Her metabolism didn’t allow for it, and the way her body worked was entirely different.

That’s how she found herself at the bar, nursing a cold beer and very slowly taking sips. She could consume and process human food, but it had no nutritional value to her. She liked the taste of food, though it was a pain for her body to work on breaking the food down, so she usually avoided eating anything that wasn’t blood.

Jack would explode if she found out where Scylla was and why she was here, and even Scylla herself was surprised at herself for this move. She was so used to doing everything she was told, but her hunger was gnawing, and it kept her awake at night, and she needed to _know_.

She was there to hunt. Not to kill, but just to have a little snack. If she did accidentally kill someone, it would be easy to pass it off as something shady gone down at the bar. That was the reputation this place had, and that’s why it was perfect.

Of course, she was a very young face, so she attracted the attention of almost everyone there. The bartender looked only a few years older than her, and he’d demanded to see her ID before he sold the beer to her. She was nineteen already, a year behind everyone else at school, so she could drink. Said bartender kept shooting her puzzled looks as he wiped the counter and handled drinks. She ignored him and focused all of her senses on her surroundings.

This was exhilarating. There were many hearts pumping warm, live blood all around her. She could smell them, and it was appetizing. Not as much as Raelle’s blood, but she was sure she would be able to stomach this, and maybe it would sate her hunger. If she didn’t do this, she would end up hurting someone. It would just take one student to injure themselves and she would lose her control at the scent of fresh blood.

Scylla took another sip of her beer, and then someone filled the seats to either side of her and the smell of cigarette smoke and bad breath washed over her. She went still and carefully looked to the side.

“You’re a little young to be here so late,” a man drawled, grinning down at her. His dark eyes were watery and bloodshot, and his thick beard was greying.

Scylla decided to give him a sweet smile. “Just unwinding before exams.”

To her left, another man chuckled. “Such a sweet thing, too.”

It was so easy to figure out what they were trying to do. Scylla turned her head to the other man, and she heard the sound of the other dropping something into her drink. She could smell the drug too, but she pretended not to know a thing.

“Thank you,” she told the other man. He was younger than his friend, but he was still much older than her.

“Guys,” the bartender came over, frowning deeply. “Leave the girl alone.”

“Aw, come on Porter,” the grey-bearded man grumbled. “We’re not here to do her any harm.”

Porter’s frown only deepened. While the men all glared and postured, Scylla finished her drink off quickly. She noted the way the two men grinned in satisfaction at her and the way Porter swallowed nervously.

“That’s alright,” she chirped happily. “I don’t mind hanging out with them.”

“See?” Grey Beard chuckled. “Girl just wants to have fun.”

Porter leaned over the bar, and Scylla froze when she smelt the warm blood in his veins. She very nearly grabbed him and pulled his throat to her mouth, right there and then, but she dug her fingers into the wood of the chair she was sitting on, and just smiled like the clueless young girl she was pretending to be.

“Look, I’ll give you a lift home. Don’t go anywhere with these creeps. They certainly do mean you harm.”

Scylla blinked at him in mock confusion. “But they seem so nice.”

The two of them laughed loudly and Porter drew away, confused. He seemed frustrated, and Scylla thought maybe he had to do this often. How many girls had these assholes taken advantage of? Besides the hunger, she was starting to get angry. One thing was very certain, Porter was not her meal. He didn’t deserve it, not from what she had seen already.

So, Scylla pretended to get drowsy from the drug that wasn’t actually affecting her. The two men immediately offered to drive her home and she slurred a confirmation. She slumped in their arms and they happily dragged her out to their truck. She pretended that she was out cold, and then they dumped her ungracefully in the back of their truck. The younger one climbed in with her and the other hopped in front to drive.

Scylla waited for them to leave the bar area. She could tell from the scent that they were leaving town, not heading into it, so she figured they probably had a place where they took girls to. Perfect.

Luckily the man sitting beside her didn’t touch her, else she would have been tempted to snack early. They waited until they were safe at their secret hideout, and they carried Scylla inside. She happily slumped onto the mattress where they flung her, and then she listened to them talking and lighting smokes. They chained her wrists and ankles, and Scylla grinned to herself.

She slowly opened her eyes.

“Awake already?” the young one asked. “Carl, how much did you give her?”

Carl lumbered over with a lit cigarette hanging between his lips. “Enough to knock her out all night. She shouldn’t be up.”

Scylla sat up and inspected the cuffs. “These are weak, boys.”

“Ryan, knock her out.”

Ryan sputtered. “I ain’t hitting her!”

Scylla laughed. “Well, weren’t you going to do worse to me?”

Ryan glared at her. “Look, you’re supposed to be asleep.”

“I don’t mind a little struggle,” Carl said in a tone that was suggestive.

Suddenly and unexpectantly, Scylla’s temper flared. Her eyes turned and she could _feel_ the way the veins throbbed, and she was unbearably hungry. She snapped the bindings like they were butter and then had Carl’s throat in her hand and him lifted as high as she could hold him. His feet kicked underneath him and he choked from the strength of her grip.

“What the fuck?” Ryan yelled.

Scylla licked her lips and turned to look at him. His expression was terrified.

“Run,” she hissed at him.

Ryan did exactly that. He completely disregarded his friend’s life and fled the scene as quickly as he could. Scylla turned to look at Carl and realized his face had gone purple. She let him go and then caught him before he hit the ground, and sank her teeth into the artery at his neck. Warm, fresh blood pulsed into her mouth, but she only got one gulp down before her nose wrinkled and she tossed him aside. She spat out what blood she could and wiped a hand across her face.

“Gross,” she mumbled.

So that was a bust. She had one more test, though. Her mouth watered and her fangs ached, and when she ran from the house her heart was pumping faster than it ever had. Adrenalin surged through her when she spotted Ryan in the truck fleeing down the road.

It was nothing to catch up to him, and it was nothing to flip the car with her bare hands. She pulled the door clean off once the truck stopped rolling and dragged Ryan out. He was bleeding profusely from a wound at his temple, and a big shard of glass had gotten stuck in his gut.

Scylla dumped him on the ground and stuck her finger into the wound. He screamed in agony and writhed underneath her, but she felt no sympathy for him.

She stuck the finger into her mouth and tasted his blood, but it was flavourless. Disappointed, hungry and still hyped up, she knew she needed to leave. If she didn’t, she would kill these men. Her bloodlust was climbing as high as her hunger, and human blood just wasn’t doing it for her.

She left Ryan bleeding out, and made the run home. She was so worked up that she got there in half the time, and she hurried to get into the shower and wash all of the blood and dirt from her body. She didn’t even have time to feel guilty about what she had done.

Why should she? Not every human life was precious. Those men were clearly predators, and she should have ended them immediately. Hopefully if they survived, they would rethink their life choices and never prey on innocent girls again.

Scylla growled softly and slammed her fist into the slick tile. A big part of her wanted to run back, rip their throats out. She kept picturing drinking all their blood even though it tasted like sand.

Then she thought about Raelle, and her temper calmed until she could think clearly again. She unclenched her jaw and lowered her bleeding fist, and stared at the cuts along her skin as they sealed up in an instant.

Hot water trailed down her face and dripped from her chin. She couldn’t resist anymore.

After her shower, she dressed and left once again. Everyone knew where Alder lived, but even had she not Scylla would have found her by scent alone. Raelle was not in the house, though. Scylla caught her scent from the wind, so she headed into the trees and paused, crouching, on a branch.

Raelle was just standing there on a small hill, staring up at the stars. Her mouth was open and big gusts of mist poured from her nostrils as she breathed. Scylla could feel the warmth from her already, and just being so close chased every bit of the bloodlust away. In its place was desire. Incredible desire, and it made her shake.

The wind changed direction, buffeting against Scylla’s back. Raelle caught her scent and her head snapped around. Scylla grinned.

She leapt from the branch and tackled Raelle to the ground. Raelle let out a yelp of surprise, and then she shifted in a burst of steam and they went rolling on the ground until they stopped, Scylla on her back, Raelle’s hands closed around her wrists to keep her pinned down.

“Scylla?”

She couldn’t help the smile as it spread across her face. She could feel her eyes doing their thing, and she knew her teeth were out. Raelle smelt like the earth, and she smelt absolutely delicious.

“I’m so hungry,” she whined softly.

Raelle laughed at her. “So you decided to hunt me?”

“Of course. You’re a meal on very nice legs.”

Raelle’s grin was devastating, and Scylla ached from both hunger and want. An uncomfortable warmth settled between her legs, and she knew Raelle could smell her arousal when her nose twitched and her pupils dilated fully.

To Scylla’s delight, Raelle let out a long, deep growl from her chest. Her eyes started to glow brightly, and the tips of her ears grew to points. Her scent thickened, and Scylla tried to lift herself, but Raelle kept her firmly in place.

“You’re trying to seduce me, you evil little vampire.”

Scylla pouted. “It’s not evil if you’ve ruined normal blood for me.”

Raelle blinked. “What?”

Sighing, Scylla realized she had admitted a truth she shouldn’t have. “I’ve grown incredibly hungry over this week. Normal blood can satiate me for a while, but I still get hungry. Intensely hungry. All I crave is your blood. I... Raelle, I’m really dangerous right now. My bloodlust is back for the first time in years, because I’m so thirsty.”

Raelle took in a deep breath, inhaling through her nose. Her blonde hair hung down against her face, and Scylla just wanted to scoop her hair away, mould their lips together and bite down hard on her lip.

“Okay, if you need to feed, then go for it.”

Scylla licked her lips. “I... what if I hurt you this time?”

Raelle’s grip on her wrists finally loosened. She smiled down at her, but it was impossibly tender. It was only then that Scylla really realized that Raelle was naked on top of her, and glistening with sweat from her earlier shift.

From Scylla’s understanding, it took an immense amount of stamina and strength for a single shift. Since turned wolves didn’t do it as often, Raelle had to be incredibly strong to be able to do it whenever she pleased.

Her muscles weren’t that big in her human form, but they were toned. Her abs looked rock hard and Scylla’s eyes were distracted by the sight of her nipples. The shape of her arms, the line of her shoulders and the crookedness of her grin made Scylla physically ache with desire.

Unable to control herself anymore, Scylla used all of the strength she possessed and lifted them both. She slammed Raelle into the nearest tree, sending a giant crack right through its centre, and then they were kissing. Raelle growled deeply and it vibrated right through Scylla’s sensitive body.

Strong hands ripped her shirt off and went to work on her pants, but Scylla knocked them away.

“Scylla,” Raelle groaned.

Scylla pulled away from the kiss to press her lips to the same spot she had bitten before, and when her fangs ached yet again, she stopped holding back. With her right hand, she travelled down to between Raelle’s legs where she was incredibly wet. It leaked down Raelle’s thighs, slick and warm, and she moaned softly as she bit down hard. At the same moment, she allowed two fingers to sink into her and Raelle’s body shuddered hard against her.

Raelle’s strong arms wrapped around her, and then Scylla just closed her eyes and focused on drinking and thrusting in time. Whatever she was doing, it was the exact right thing. Raelle let out high-pitched, needy noises as her body shuddered, as Scylla slid in and out of her almost frantically.

The more she drank, the clearer her mind became. The exact moment she felt full, Raelle arched into her, arms clutching so hard it nearly hurt, her inner muscles quivering and clutching down. Scylla stopped moving her fingers and released her bite. She gently licked the two wounds, enjoying the last hints of blood until they sealed up.

When it was done, Raelle sagged bonelessly against her. Scylla dropped her forehead down against Raelle’s shoulder and sighed.

“We failed,” she mumbled.

Raelle let out a breathless laugh. “And an incredible failure it was.”

Scylla stepped away, but Raelle seemed a little unsteady so she helped her sit down. Raelle tipped her head back and rested it against the tree.

“That was amazing,” she sighed.

Scylla could only agree. While her thirst for blood had been sated, her hormones hadn’t. While Raelle took a second to catch her breath, Scylla discarded the rest of her clothes and then straddled her lap. Lazily, Raelle’s glowing blue eyes opened, and her smile was delighted.

Right there underneath the cracked tree, Raelle’s fingers found her wetness and slid inside, and Scylla rode them hard as she moaned and held onto Raelle’s shoulders. When she came, they were kissing hungrily and Raelle swallowed her sounds of pleasure. She shuddered hard, sweat slicking her pale, naked back as she moved, and then she dropped down one last time, panting.

Raelle kissed the corner of her mouth, her jaw, her throat, and then her shoulder.

“You’re amazing,” she whispered softly, reverently.

Scylla buried her nose against Raelle’s throat and attempted to burrow into her. Raelle’s fingers were still trapped inside of her, but she was completely fine with that.

“There’s no way I can stay away from you,” she admitted in a satisfied sigh.

Raelle made in a noise in her throat, almost like a purr. “I can’t stay away from you either.”

Scylla felt Raelle’s lips at her throat again, the sharp points of her teeth. Her lower back tingled and the action stirred her arousal again. She was far too exhausted, though, but she wondered why her body was so receptive to something that could kill her.

Raelle took in an uneven breath and pulled away, and she looked very conflicted when Scylla got a look at her face.

“What’s wrong?”

Raelle sighed. “My every instinct is screaming at me to mark you.”

“Why?”

“I... I don’t know.”

Scylla regarded her, heart thudding. The forest was quiet around them, the nocturnal animals well aware that there were two dangerous creatures in their midst. It was a little eerie, if Raelle’s heartbeat wasn’t so comforting. Scylla enjoyed the cool wind blowing against her naked back.

“Do it.”

Raelle’s eyes widened. “What? I can’t just... I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Biting you is like... it’s claiming you.”

Scylla’s expression didn’t change. “So? Do it.”

“It will scar, Scylla. Other wolves will smell me on you, if it works like a regular mating bite.”

Scylla thought about it. “I don’t mind. My bite on you seems to be permanent, too. I’ve already imprinted on you.”

Raelle seemed exasperated, but her whole body was tensing as if she was holding herself back. They stared at each other for a long time, Scylla with a lifted brow.

“Live a little,” she taunted.

Raelle growled softly, eyes narrowing. She was so... powerful. Sexy and dangerous, and it made Scylla wet. Raelle suddenly tugged her closer with strong hands nearly bruising her hips, and then those lips burned against her throat again, and she exposed her neck fully, inviting.

Raelle panted hotly against her skin, teeth digging in but not puncturing. Her fingers gripped hard, quivering, and Scylla really thought she would do it. She wondered what would happen, if she would feel any differently and if the others would really know.

Eventually, Raelle pulled away and didn’t bite her. “I can’t,” she choked out. “I don’t want to risk hurting you.”

Disappointment filled Scylla’s chest, which was the strangest thing to feel. She elected to ignore it, and gently cupped Raelle’s face.

“That’s okay, I’m sorry for pressuring you.”

Raelle leaned into her touch. “You have no idea how badly I want to. More than anything I’ve ever wanted before.”

Scylla thought about how warm Raelle felt against her, inside of her, how the richness of her blood set a fire ablaze in her heart, her veins. She was no longer cold, no longer hungry.

“Me too,” she admitted quietly.

Still there, underneath the cracked tree, they kissed again, and something shifted between them, and they were simply too weak to resist it.

* * *

Jack returned home, frowning deeply in contemplation. She had just visited with Alder, to confirm that Scylla was still coping well, that her behaviour hadn’t changed and that she was controlling herself.

It wasn’t the entire truth, though.

She noticed the change immediately. Scylla wasn’t drinking their supply of blood anymore. She seemed almost disgusted by it, and that was very alarming. More alarming than that, was Alder’s interest in Scylla’s interactions with Raelle.

The little wolf, to her credit, had stayed away. All week the two of them hadn’t interacted, but Jack could tell that it was only time until they swept into each other again.

She’d heard of this once before, but she didn’t want to mention anything yet. She knew that so long as she treaded carefully, Alder would have no reason to retaliate. This was wolf territory, and their being allowed to live there was Alder’s courtesy. It was the best way to hide Scylla, too, though Jack wasn’t certain if their coven even believed her to still be alive. The last encounter she’d had with someone from the coven searching for them was when Scylla had been just one year old.

Sighing, Jack walked the dark streets home. Part of her wanted to rip the wolf’s throat out for daring to touch Scylla, but she knew that was a very irrational thing to do. Scylla was almost an adult. She would be finishing school very soon, and would likely want to go out into the world on her own. Jack would need to deal with that, and let her go.

And if Scylla was destined to be mated to a damn werewolf, then Jack needed to get over that too. She just couldn’t wrap her mind around it. The wolves were filthy animals. Savage and dirty. The very scent of them made Jack want to never breathe again.

Why were they so drawn to each other? Why were there natural-born at all? It was all so strange, and no one seemed to have the answers.

All Jack knew was that she did not consent to Scylla being part of some experiment. If she got hurt at all, there would be a debt owed. The only payment she would accept was Alder’s blood.

When Jack got home, she noted that Scylla was not. This worried her, but she decided to play the dutiful parent and went to sit quietly in the dark, and wait. When Scylla did return hours later, there was the unmistakable scent of dog on her. Jack listened to her soft laughter, heard the fast pattering of the wolf’s heart.

Her nose wrinkled and she closed her eyes to try and resist the urge to be angry. When they eventually pulled away from each other—Jack cursed her sensitive hearing—Scylla finally entered the home.

Jack clicked the lamp on, washing her in pale orange light. Scylla froze in the doorway. She was covered in dirt and leaves and her clothes were in tatters. It didn’t take much to guess what she had been doing.

Jack sighed. Scylla swallowed.

“I, uh, went out,” Scylla told her. “For a snack.”

Jack would laugh, but she didn’t want to encourage the behaviour. “You won’t stay away from her, will you?”

Scylla stood firm, shoulders squared. “I don’t think I can, no.”

Jack thought about Alder’s words from earlier, her strange eagerness to see if a born wolf could give the mating bite to a born vampire. To see how compatible they could be.

Jack sighed in defeat. “I have one very firm rule.”

Scylla perked.

“Not a soul finds out,” she said. “If you are intent on doing this, keep it secret. Alder has ulterior motives, and if she finds out that you’ve bonded with this wolf, she’ll be overjoyed. I don’t trust her.”

Scylla’s smile was joyful and youthful, and it made Jack’s old, cold heart warm just the slightest.

“Of course. We won’t let anyone know.”

Jack nodded, and so Scylla disappeared to get ready for bed.

It was so strange, how hundreds of years could pass by in a flash, and yet the last nineteen years had been the slowest Jack had ever experienced. She was fine with that. In fact, she felt like time should slow down even more.

Scylla was already so grown, and she would continue to grow. Not older, but wiser, colder. Time did that. The world’s harshness did that.

She would do everything in her power to make sure that Scylla’s smile remained bright for however long the two of them lived, even if that meant forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates almost every Sunday


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm having so much fun figuring out all the lore and differences between the wolves and vamps, turned and born. I really love writing these types of stories lol

The next morning, Scylla was thrumming with excited energy. Since Jack couldn’t be out in the sun, she always had to walk to school and back. It wasn’t too long of a journey and many other kids in the neighbourhood took the same route, so it was safe. Scylla was half tempted to race to school in seconds, but she remembered Jack’s warning and had to control herself.

No super speed in front of the humans. Annoying, but doable.

Once inside the school building, Scylla lifted her nose to catch Raelle’s scent. It was close by and it made her pulse spike. Had someone told her two weeks ago that she would be so eager to see her werewolf, she would have laughed at them.

Scylla walked slowly down the hallway, scanning the faces around her for Raelle’s. A door to her left suddenly opened, then a strong hand clamped around hers and she was tugged into the classroom. Since she hadn’t been able to pull away, she already knew it was Raelle before the door was thrown shut and she was pushed against it. Raelle pressed against her, nose nuzzling against Scylla’s throat.

“Good morning,” Scylla greeted cheerfully.

Raelle trailed her lips along her jaw. “Morning.”

She sighed in content when they kissed. She could hardly even think of a time before this. Their hands slid together, fingers linking. They fit together as if they were made from the same mould. Even though Raelle’s blood was pumping hard and warm in her veins, and the smell of her was intoxicating, Scylla didn’t crave for her blood at all. She was still impossibly full.

“You’re in a very good mood today,” Raelle mumbled against her lips and finally pulled away.

They locked gazes instantly. “I had an amazing meal yesterday,” Scylla told her, and then she smirked. “The sex was also pretty good.”

Raelle lifted a brow. “Only good?”

“Hmmm.” Scylla pretended to think about it, then laughed softly. “I don’t know, I might need to try it a few more times to see.”

Raelle’s grin was playful and open. Suddenly and without warning, Raelle picked her up and set her down on one of the desks. Her strength was insane, and Scylla had a suspicion that she was far stronger than she let on. Scylla had somewhat met a few born wolves before, but they were only ever passing through the town or here for a festival and she never got too close to them.

She remembered their scent, but not enough to actually describe it. Raelle was entirely different, though. For starters, she was the first female born wolf Scylla had ever been close to. _Close_ being a severe understatement.

“If you insist, then I guess we should try a few more times?” Raelle suggested with the biggest grin, and the sight of it made Scylla’s heart flutter hard. “So that you can write up a proper review.”

Scylla’s laugh was cut off by Raelle suddenly kissing her again, and their entire conversation fled from her mind. Raelle growled softly and tugged her even closer, and Scylla didn’t think it was possible for them to be even an inch closer than they already were. Every cell in her body was alight, and she started to feel an intense craving that she’d never felt before. 

It was such a strange sensation, and she knew it had everything to do with the puppy in her arms. Her fingers circled around the back of Raelle’s neck and kept her firmly in place, and she let her tongue slide deliciously across Raelle’s. Raelle’s body temperature began to climb so high that even Scylla felt it, like waves of heat just pouring off of her. She was visibly shaking and her muscles were tensed, hard as stone.

Scylla wanted to devour her. Felt a tingle across her spine, an aching deep inside that wasn’t just sexual. It made her very dizzy. 

Suddenly the door to the classroom opened, making them both jolt away from the kiss. But Raelle’s hands were still clamped around her hips and Scylla’s around her neck. On instinct, Raelle let out a possessive growl that froze abruptly in her chest. 

Scylla looked at the newcomer and recognized her as Tally, Raelle’s friend who she refused to refer to as such. Tally quickly slammed the door shut behind her, looking scandalized and as if she had just walked in on her parents getting dirty. 

“I knew it!” she cried out.

Raelle closed her eyes and inhaled shakily. Scylla gave her jaw a soft caress to calm her down, because she knew she was likely rattled from being interrupted and from battling her internal instincts to protect her mate—as all wolves did. 

“Tally, right?” 

Tally straightened, surprised. “You remembered?”

Scylla let herself laugh. “I’m a vampire, not heartless.”

Scylla pulled away and climbed off the desk, but Raelle seemed very reluctant to let her go, so she took her hand and gave it a firm squeeze. She held her other hand out for Tally and they shook.

“I totally guessed that this was going on,” Tally blurted. 

Scylla tried not to smile, especially when Raelle only seemed to be annoyed and embarrassed. 

“What are you doing here?” Raelle asked her in a soft, restrained voice. 

Tally cleared her throat. “I was just here to fetch my lunch bag that I forgot yesterday. What were you two doing here?” She smiled suggestively.

“Talking about a review I need to do,” Scylla answered, and shot Raelle a conspirative smirk. Raelle grinned back and rolled her eyes. 

“I’m starting to realize that you’re trouble,” Raelle remarked.

Not caring that Tally was staring, Scylla kissed her again. “I’m sure that’s part of my allure. Aren’t all vampires bad?”

“We should get to class,” Tally interjected. “The bell rang like, five minutes ago.”

Raelle cursed, but neither of them moved. Tally just stood there by the door, staring at them curiously. 

Scylla knew what the kids at school were saying about them. Some of it was just normal gossip—and humans always sensed that they were different, even if they never knew exactly how—but then she also overheard the hunters. 

People had noticed their longing glances, and that would not do. She would rather have everyone think they were more likely to rip each other to pieces than to, well, do exactly that but in a different way. 

There was only one way to fix this, and Scylla couldn’t deny that it sent a little thrill of excitement through her. So, okay, she liked to be dramatic sometimes. 

“Tally, before we head to class, I wanted to ask what you meant when you said you knew it?”

Tally’s mouth opened and closed. “I, uh, I mean, I have eyes. And the way the two of you have been looking at each other, it was either a lot of attraction or intense hatred.”

Raelle snorted. “Don’t these people have anything better to do than stare at us?”

Scylla cupped Raelle’s cheek and traced the line of her scars. Three of them, clearly done by another wolf. 

“We’re different.”

“And very hot,” Tally interjected. They looked at her. “What? Scylla, you’re like, the mysterious dark beauty that’s aloof and unapproachable and Raelle is the moody bad girl with a dark past.”

Scylla couldn’t help but laugh. She pressed a kiss to Raelle’s scars and then strode over to the door. “I like you, Tally. You’ll keep our secret?”

Tally swallowed, but it hadn’t been a threat—maybe. “Yeah, of course. I wouldn’t dream of telling anyone. And thanks, I think.”

Satisfied, Scylla left with a wink over her shoulder to Raelle and a bunch of butterflies fluttering in her chest.

* * *

“Moody bad girl with a past?” Raelle asked.

Tally shrugged. “What, am I wrong?”

It was frightening how close she actually was. They couldn’t stand around and continue to banter, since they were severely late. When the teacher scolded them Tally profusely apologized and hurried to her seat and Raelle just stiffly nodded and went to her own seat. 

Everything was still a little too overwhelming, and Tally’s title for her had chased away the haze of fuzzy desire and reminded her exactly why she was back in Origin Peak.

Her mother had been killed. Her only family left—gone. If not for Alder, she probably would have just continued to roam the forests on all fours and never change back. She’d wanted for nothing, only needed to distract herself from the pain. 

After that, Raelle’s mood took a dark turn. She noticed people staring at her and giving her plenty of space to walk in the hallways, and usually it amused her, but now it was just annoying. It didn’t help that she kept glaring whenever she heard her name, and her glare was intimidating. 

Tally seemed completely unphased by her bad mood and happily sat with her again during lunch, telling Raelle everything about her life. Raelle’s first instinct was to push her as far away as possible, but Tally had apparently figured that out. She was relentless and patient, and Raelle hated how much she actually liked it.

“Why do you want to be my friend?” she finally blurted out, interrupting Tally from her long-winded explanation of what the hunters went through in training every day. Tally went quiet.

“My mother made me promise that I would always be kind to those that need it.” She smiled, and there was genuine care there. “And something just told me that you need a friend.” 

Raelle slid down on her chair. “I guess I don’t mind.”

Tally leaned over, pretending she never heard. “What, can you repeat that?”

Raelle rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.”I said I don’t mind. I’ve always been an outcast because of what I am, so it would be nice to have an actual friend for once.”

Tally’s eyes flashed brightly in happiness and it made Raelle want to thump her tail, if she’d had it out. 

“I’m going to be the best friend to you, I promise.”

“A part of me already believes that.”

“And, as part of being your friend, I need to tell you that you need to do something about you and Scylla.”

Raelle closed up in an instant. She frowned, eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

Tally noticed her walls being thrown up again and she laughed. “No, I mean like everyone can see the tension between you. I assume you’re forbidden to be in love or something, right?”

“I guess.”

“So, you need to pretend to hate each other.”

Raelle blinked. “Tally, you’re actually pretty smart.”

“Excuse me? Did I look dumb before this?”

Raelle just grinned at her and stood, since the bell had rung. The cafeteria was filled with students, some still shooting her curious looks. Raelle spotted Abigail across the room, looking over at them with a frown.

“What’s wrong with miss high and mighty?”

Tally deflated. “Oh, she’s not impressed that I want to be your friend. She thinks you’re dangerous and that we should just watch you.”

Raelle snorted. “Right. Of course.”

“I’m sure once she gets to know you she’ll change her mind.”

Raelle doubted that. She dumped her tray and made for the crowd exiting the cafeteria. Scylla’s scent filled her senses a second before a hard shoulder slammed into her own, and then everything happened so quickly after that. 

Scylla made a noise in her throat, like she couldn’t believe they’d actually touched.

“Watch where you’re walking,” she saw in a low, threatening voice.

She looked pissed and annoyed, and for a long second Raelle wanted to burst into tears and crawl on her knees, begging for forgiveness. People around them were stopping to watch, and Raelle only realized what this was when Scylla gave her a quick wink. 

Raelle took in a breath, gathered her courage, and then adopted a fierce, angry look. She stood tall and puffed out her chest and got into Scylla’s face. 

“Or what?”

Scylla’s heart skipped a beat, but that was the only sort of reaction she gave and no one besides Raelle caught it. 

They stared at each other for a handful of breaths, and already the whispers were starting. Scylla finally turned and walked away, and Raelle stared after her, making sure her expression said _I would kick her ass_ even though she really just wanted to kiss her, everywhere. 

Tally put a hand on her arm. “Are you okay?”

Raelle nodded. “I’m fine. She’s so fucking weird.” She said the last part loud enough for everyone to hear. 

Tally nodded, clearly impressed, and then they headed to class.

* * *

“Collar! Bench.”

Raelle paused mid-field and turned, eyes narrowed. “Seriously?”

Anacostia’s expression barely shifted. “I said bench, Collar. Now.”

Raelle huffed and went to sit down on the bench. It was last period, gym. They were playing rugby and Raelle had been excited to use up a bit of her pent up energy. She missed Scylla and that made her irritable, and it annoyed her that they had to pretend to hate each other.

Scylla was on the field and she sent over a smug grin that was definitely taunting, so Raelle just glared right back. Anacostia must have noticed, because she stopped beside Raelle after whistling for the game to start.

“I heard you had a confrontation,” Anacostia said.

Raelle tried not to stare at Scylla too intensely, and failed. “You know wolves and their tempers.”

Sighing, Anacostia uncrossed her arms. “I thought you would at least be civil with each other, after you helped her the other day.”

“Can’t help the genetics. Soon as I remembered that, friendliness went out the window.”

Anacostia made a noise in her throat. “Sure. You’re not just telling me what I want to hear?”

Raelle finally turned to look at her. “Why am I benched if Scylla can still play? She’s just as capable of breaking someone in half.”

“Because she has control.” Anacostia’s brow lifted. “And I know her longer than you.”

“So you think I’ll actually hurt someone?”

Anacostia didn’t respond and turned to focus on the game. Raelle wanted to argue with her, but decided to let it go. She started bouncing her knee and twitched every time the ball hit the ground. She itched to be out there, racing across the field, being tackled to the ground.

When the bell rang Raelle shot to her feet. Everyone left to get changed and go home, but she decided to hang around. Anacostia gave her a look, but left as well. When the field was cleared, Raelle went to get a ball and then made her way to the middle of the field. She surveyed the area to make sure no one else was there, and then she aimed, kicking the ball high and raced across the field to catch it.

So maybe she really liked to play catch sometimes. She’d heard plenty of the jokes already.

Raelle used her strength and leapt into the air to catch the ball. When she landed, she did so with a grunt and on all fours. Her fingers dug into the soil underneath the fresh grass. Her heart pounded with electricity. There was nothing more satisfying than using her natural strength. So often she had to hide her strength and reflexes so that the humans didn’t figure out what she was.

Raelle threw the ball and ran across the field, a smile stretched across her face. Her head was completely empty of thoughts, too, and she was lost in the push and pull of muscle and the pumping of her heart until she heard a whistle that made her freeze. The ball crashed to the ground seconds later.

Someone had just whistled at her like she was a dog. She straightened and turned, a snarl forming on her lips, but it was only Scylla. She was still in her gym clothes and she had a smirk on her lips.

“Playing fetch with yourself?”

Raelle laughed. “You don’t need to still be mean to me, you know.”

Scylla scooped the ball up and nodded. “I know, but it’s fun.”

“Fun hurting my fragile heart?”

Scylla quirked a brow at her and balanced the ball on the tip of a finger. “I don’t think you’re that fragile.”

“I might burst into tears right now.”

Scylla laughed. Raelle didn’t care who was watching, she strode forward and pulled Scylla into her arms. The ball was stuck between them as they kissed, and when they pulled away Raelle realized her tail had grown out and it was wagging, brushing against the back of her leg. She flushed bright red but Scylla was only delighted.

“You know, I thought that wolves couldn’t turn whenever they wanted.”

Raelle forced her tail to disappear. “Yeah, turned wolves. They can only shift at full moon, and it’s incredibly painful.” She gestured for the ball. “You gonna throw that?”

“What is it like for you?” She threw the ball with incredible strength, but Raelle was able to catch it with ease.

“The only difference is that I can turn whenever I want. I’m not restricted to moon cycles.”

“So it’s still painful?”

Toss. Catch.

“Yeah. But at this point I’m so used to it. The pain is over quickly.”

Toss. Catch.

“But, you turn a lot. The pain really doesn’t bother you?”

Raelle shrugged as she caught, then tossed. “My pain threshold is extremely high. It was really difficult in the beginning, and I hated turning. When it started, I almost couldn’t control it. Emotions and all that.”

Scylla disappeared and reappeared a few steps to the right, but Raelle had sensed the shift in the air and was able to catch the ball just in time.

“What does the pain feel like?”

Raelle paused, fingers gripping at the rough surface of the rugby ball. She stared at the woven patterns of the material. “When I shift, every bone in my body shatters.” Scylla’s expression fell away to shock. “They remould into my wolf form. Turned wolves turn a little differently. It’s longer, more drawn out and not as precise. Their bones snap and change whereas mine just go, fuck it, we’re turning to dust right now.”

Scylla swallowed and Raelle heard it. She liked the idea that Scylla was concerned for her, and it made her heart warm. “Do you even feel pain anymore?”

“I do but it doesn’t bother me. I don’t think any pain will ever top my first turn. I remember that day vividly. I was just sobbing in my mother's arms, throwing up when it got so bad. I must have passed out so many times. My mom stayed for it all.” She threw the ball but Scylla ignored it, and it bounced off her shoulder. She walked over, her expression soft.

“What happened to her?”

Usually, Raelle would throw her walls up. She didn’t like people getting too close to her, not after everything that had happened. Especially people who wanted to know about her tragic past. But with Scylla it was different. Whatever this was between them, it made her feel safe.

“Wolves are very territorial,” she started. “My mother was killed in a pack feud. Our pack left her to die, and no matter how much I begged them to just fetch her body, they refused. It was because of them that she was out there at all, and then they couldn’t even respect her after death.”

Scylla’s hand found hers and her grip was warm. “My parents were killed because they made me.” She smiled, but it was sad. “I understand that pain.”

Raelle wiped at her face, annoyed to feel tears. She rubbed her thumb against Scylla’s wrist. “Thanks, Scyl.” The nickname felt comfortable, right.

They shared a smile, and then Scylla went to grab the ball again. “So, would you like me to throw the ball this time?”

“Only if you promise never to whistle at me like that again.”

Scylla seemed to think about it, then she nodded. “Promise.”

They continued playing until the sun went down and school security yelled at them to leave. They had to change and grab their bags, and for the first time in a while Raelle didn’t shift to run home. Alder had already given up picking her up from school, which she was fine with.

They stuck to the forest, winding around old, thick trees, and they talked. About anything and everything.

Raelle had no doubt that she was already in love, and she didn’t even care that it was with a vampire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I do love comments. Oh, and I am currently working on the CEO x repairwoman fic. It's maybe halfway done, depends how long I decide to make it. No clue when it'll drop though, hopefully soon.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 👀👀👀

Raelle could finally admit to herself that maybe moving back to Origin Peak wasn’t such a bad thing after all. Most of the year was already gone, and they were steadily crawling towards their finals and then, incredibly, graduation. When everything happened with her mother and her pack, and she’d decided to shed her human form for a while, Raelle never thought she would entertain the idea of her future. Not again, not ever.

But then there was Scylla. Beautiful, sassy, adorable Scylla. All Raelle could think about were the endless possibilities stretched out before her, and each one ended with Scylla right at her side. Scylla made her want to forgive the world and its harshness.

She let her grief in, and she dealt with it. She let love in, and she revelled in it. With Scylla, it was so easy. She didn’t demand a single thing, well, except for blood, but otherwise she seemed always content to take everything Raelle had to give to her in her own time.

This was likely what genuinely good love felt like, Raelle thought.

Many weeks had passed, and at some point, they decided to define what was between them. They were still sneaking around, though, so they only said it to Tally and each other. _Girlfriends._ It almost sounded silly, like two little girls with their heads bent together, giggling that they were girlfriends before they understood the enormity of the word, the weight of it, and were just confident in the feelings they had.

It was often times frightening, because Raelle always wondered if she was the right fit for Scylla despite Scylla’s many protestations that she was. The one thing holding Raelle back from fully going into this, was her urge to bite.

She never knew it could be this intense, and she didn’t understand why it was so persistent. At first, it would fade and return only at the most passionate moments between them, but so many weeks later, all it took was for Raelle to just think of Scylla and her teeth would grow out and slice into her gums and she could think of _nothing_ but marking the girl she loved.

When they tumbled together, naked and sweaty, smiles secret and soft, it was the worst. One night, Raelle almost lost control. They were at Scylla’s, since Jack simply asked that they remain secret, and what better way than to fool around in the privacy of Scylla’s room? Luckily Jack was asleep in the basement during the day, and out doing whatever during the night, so she was never there to interrupt.

Raelle’s body buzzed from a long night of running after Scylla through the trees, catching her in a naked tumble. Scylla’s soft bed was much better than the hard soil they had been rolling on earlier, and she could still smell the cling of earth and leaves on them. But more overpowering than all, was Scylla’s scent.

Her scent burned every sense Raelle had. It clouded her mind until all she could think and feel was _want want want._

Wolves were not beasts. Some would argue that yeah, the turned often acted like mindless savages. But Raelle always had control of herself, be it her temper or simply just her strength. She kept her instincts and impulses tightly locked down. It was the only way that she could live peacefully with humans, and she was damn good at it.

But with Scylla... Goddamnit, Scylla made it so hard to stay in control. The deepest, wildest parts of her clawed to the surface, blanketing her better sense, turning her into a simple-minded beast with just one intent—one mission.

_Claim. Mark. Bite. Mine. Mine mine mine._

It didn’t help at all that Scylla thought it was both hot and hilarious, and that she did everything to make it more difficult.

One moment Scylla was teasing her, trailing careful fingers along her abdomen to her thighs, back up, down again, whispering sweet things into her ear. Tauntingly, Scylla tilted her head just so to expose the length of her throat, the pale skin of her neck.

Raelle physically felt the desire take over.

She let out a deep, animal growl and flipped them over so quickly that Scylla blinked up at her in a second of confusion. Raelle pinned her arms down hard above her head, strong enough that Scylla actually _couldn’t_ break free. Her thigh pressed to the warm wetness between Scylla’s legs, and she rocked forward aggressively, satisfied when Scylla arched into her with a sinful little moan.

Raelle dipped down and pressed her teeth to Scylla’s skin, and she caught herself _just_ as Scylla stiffened, waiting. She realized what she was doing with a startled gasp and pulled away, but Scylla, now free from her grip, quickly slid a hand behind her neck and tugged her forward once more.

“It’s okay,” Scylla breathed haggardly. Her heart was beating a little faster, and Raelle could smell that her arousal had thickened.

“I’m sorry,” she choked out.

“You don’t need to be sorry. I think you should just do it, you know. I’m sure it won’t hurt me.”

Raelle felt the familiar build-up of anxiety and anger in her chest. Gone were the pure feelings of euphoria. How could she ever consider being with Scylla long term, if she could actually kill her with something that was natural to her kind?

“Scyl, if you thought there was even a chance that your bite would kill me, would you still do it?”

Scylla glanced away from her, lips turning downwards as her brows connected in deep thought. She was sprawled on her back, legs parted, arms still rested above her head where Raelle had been holding them. While she thought, Raelle moved off of her and started to dress.

“Are you leaving?”

Scylla’s scent took on a hint of worry, but Raelle didn’t want to turn around and look at her.

“Yeah, Alder will probably wonder where I am. She checks in a lot.”

Arms wrapped around her waist and a warm chin rested against her shoulder. “Stay,” Scylla asked.

Raelle sighed. “I shouldn’t. Not if...” She let her sentence hang, gulped down the rest of the words.

“I know that logically, if I thought my bite really would hurt you, I wouldn’t do it. But that’s just it, Rae. I never even considered that when you offered to let me feed. Neither of us did.”

At the sudden drop in her tone, Raelle twisted around to look at her. Scylla was good at masking her feelings, she had discovered. Often, she would hide behind a placating smile and emotionless eyes, but they had been doing this dance often enough that Raelle recognized the little furrow at her brow for what it was. She was equally worried, but wouldn’t show it. Raelle realized that Scylla was feeling bad about it, and her eyes widened.

“Scyl, you don’t need to be sorry about that, or feel bad at all.”

They came together almost at the same time, simply by instinct. Raelle was only half dressed, her underwear on, her jeans stuck around her knees. She scooted closer on the bed until their foreheads were pressed together and Scylla’s fingers sank into her hair.

“I know, but I still think about it sometimes. Am I really so selfish?”

“You were driven by instinct, Scyl.”

“And so are you. I can feel it.” She pulled Raelle’s hand and pressed it flat against her chest, between her breasts. For just a moment, Raelle was distracted by the sight of her nipples—that she had been enjoying just a moment ago—but Scylla’s soft chuckle brought her attention back. “I can feel that whatever that bite does, it won’t hurt me.”

Raelle kissed her softly on the lips. “I’d like to know before. For certain. Will you be patient with me until then?”

Scylla nodded. “However long you need. Whatever happens, I love you.”

Raelle’s entire body filled with warmth and her already fast heartbeat just picked up speed. Scylla always liked to joke that her heart was too noisy, but Raelle knew she enjoyed the excited beat of it. Many times, Scylla fell asleep against her chest, and when she woke, she would say that her heartbeat was the most comforting drumbeat soothing her to sleep.

Raelle did actually have to go home, though. As much as she hated it, and the fact that she had ruined their evening, she kissed Scylla one last time and let herself out. Before she went home, she went running through the forest until she was sure Scylla’s scent was gone, replaced by tree sap and soil. Alder had a very keen sense of smell, and it would be so easy for her to smell vampire on her.

Honestly, Raelle was getting sick of keeping this relationship secret. So what if they found out?

Surprisingly, Alder was already home when Raelle got there. She was sitting at the dining room table, paging through a file with that ever-stoic look that never seemed to leave her face. She didn’t acknowledge Raelle at all, not until she started for the stairs.

“Raelle,” she called out, not moving her eyes from the paper between her fingertips. “Sit.”

Raelle frowned, considered ignoring her, but ultimately just sat down. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at Alder’s sharp jawline. She waited. And waited.

“What?” she finally growled out.

Alder flipped the file closed and lifted her eyes to meet Raelle’s impatient gaze. Before she said anything, she lifted her nose, closed her eyes and inhaled. Panic flitted through Raelle’s heart, but she made sure to keep herself very calm. If her scent changed, Alder would know. She would wonder, then question, and ultimately find out.

Would she really be so upset though? So what if the local werewolf and vampire were banging? They weren’t hurting anyone. She grew uncomfortable though, especially when Alder’s eyes slid open and regarded her, and they were glowing brightly.

“You have been doing very well, and I wanted to commend you for that,” Alder started.

“Uh, thanks.”

“Anacostia has told me that you’ve behaved and more importantly, you’ve left Scylla alone.”

“Boss’s orders.”

“As it so happens, I have an important project that needs tending to outside of Origin Peak. I feel confident that you will no longer need my guidance going forward. From tomorrow, you will be living with Anacostia.”

Raelle stood so suddenly that her chair went flying across the room. Neither of them flinched at the sound of shattering wood.

“What? You’re kicking me out, just like that?”

“I’m not kicking you out. This is for the best.”

It wasn’t that Raelle wanted to stay _here,_ with Alder. It was just the principle of it. To be so happily abandoned by her own pack, and now Alder? A deep, vulnerable part of Raelle felt hurt. She masked it with anger instead.

“You can’t just go around making decisions for me. I’m almost an adult now. Couldn’t you discuss this with me first, for god’s sake?”

Alder’s eyes flashed darkly at her and she didn’t speak for a very long stretch. Raelle grew even angrier, but she didn’t let Alder know the extent of her upset. She didn’t want to show that she was hurt.

“Raelle,” Alder finally spoke, her voice soft. It was as if she was speaking to a little pup. “I’m not abandoning you, I promise. I don’t want you to be here on your own. Anacostia is my second in command and I trust her more than anyone. She has kept a very close eye on you and Scylla. She’s more than happy to offer a place for you until you graduate and head on to bigger things afterwards. I cannot stay in Origin Peak for the rest of this year. I trust that you’re an adult. You’ve matured a lot since the tiny pup I met so many years ago. So, show that maturity to me. Do you understand?”

God, this was exactly why Alder was worshipped everywhere. She knew exactly what to say and how to say it to get what she wanted. Raelle knew she was full of bullshit, but luckily for both of them her anger was just superficial and it would fade, because it didn’t matter.

She and Alder stared each other down for a while, until Raelle eventually sighed and dropped her head.

Submitting was something she detested.

“Fine,” she grumbled. “Luckily I don’t have much to move.”

“Anacostia will accompany you home tomorrow to pack your belongings. Thank you for understanding.”

Raelle started for her room, not sparing Alder another glance. She thought of her mother and of her pack. She thought of how Alder had tracked her down, pleaded with her and ultimately overpowered her. She thought about how, sometimes, it was so unfair that she didn’t even have a choice.

But maybe with Alder gone, they wouldn’t need to pretend anymore.

* * *

After Raelle left, Scylla double over in the middle of her room and threw up every drop of blood she’d consumed. Pain like fire rippled through her entire body and all she could do was sob through the retching. When she had nothing left inside of her to expel, she just collapsed there on the floor, covered in blood and sweat, still naked.

Her heart felt like it was beating far slower than it ever had before. Her skin was ultra-sensitive and her body started to shiver.

That was how Jack found her. Scylla was too exhausted to even lift her own head, and she could only groan when jack gathered her up into cold arms.

“Scyl?” Jack spoke, worried.

Scylla let out a soft breath. “It happened again.”

This was not the first time, and it only seemed to be getting worse. Lately, the only thing that helped to make Scylla feel normal again was to be close to Raelle, but the moment they parted it was like she was possessed by the most brutal plague. Plainly put, she was sick. And the sickness was spreading, getting worse.

Jack carried her to the bathroom and helped to wipe her off. Scylla didn’t care for her nudity. Jack didn’t either. She was not raised to worry about such things. It did bother her to be doted on like she was a toddler, but she just didn’t have the energy to do it herself.

She was so hungry that she wanted to claw her eyes out. She felt the urge to just sob, but she held back with all her might. She didn’t want to be that person—let herself break down and lose all hope.

When she was cleaned, Jack helped to dress her and took her into the guest room. Scylla was tucked underneath the blankets because she was just so, so cold, and she shivered quietly to herself as Jack disappeared to clean and then returned a short moment later. She sat down at the side of the bed and pressed a cold palm to Scylla’s forehead.

“You’re sick,” Jack stated simply.

Scylla was wracked with a violent shiver. She started to cough softly, and blood speckled on her lips. Jack dabbed it away with a tissue. “Yeah. I can’t feed.”

Jack’s dark brows furrowed. “Scylla, I’ve never seen this before. I don’t know how to help you. I don’t know what’s going on.”

It really sucked, Scylla thought, that they still knew so little about born vampires. Maybe this was normal. Maybe there was a cure. What if it was just a regular sickness for her, and she’d just never experienced it before?

Of course, Scylla knew the answer. Somehow, this was because of Raelle. Scylla wondered if maybe Raelle was right all along, if they simply weren’t compatible. What if every bit of physical contact, every time they kissed, Scylla would just get sicker?

But that didn’t explain why her energy and health returned the moment Raelle was near. Scylla thought about earlier, when she had felt Raelle’s teeth against her skin. She’d never felt such a deep craving for anything in her life before.

Was it the bite? Was it because she had bitten Raelle? It was all so confusing, and pain was starting to pound behind her eyes.

“It’s because of that mutt,” Jack growled softly in the darkness. Her red eyes glittered with bloodlust and from her sudden stillness, Scylla knew that she was forcing herself not to speed from the room that very second.

Fingers quivering badly, Scylla grabbed her hand. “Please don’t hurt her.”

“She is hurting _you_. How can you expect me to watch you waste away? You can’t feed, Scylla. You will turn into a husk.”

Scylla let out a soft breath. “We don’t even know if I’ll turn into a husk. I’m not turned. I’m alive.”

Jack studied the veins visible through Scylla’s pale skin. “The wolf is bad for you.”

“I think this is because of her, yeah,” she admitted quietly. “She doesn’t know. But I think… Jack, have you ever heard about a vampire getting a wolf bite?”

Jack’s eyes widened. “The bite, of course.”

“So, you’ve heard something?”

“Rumours, yes. I may have a contact. If we can get enough information, we can figure out how to stop this sickness.”

Scylla nodded. “Please. Don’t let Raelle find out.”

Jack patted her hand. “I won’t flay your pup yet, Scyl. But if you die because of this, I will hunt her even if she runs to the darkest corner of this planet.”

As frightening as the thought was for her, Scylla laughed. Jack was such a mother.

“Thanks, _mom_ ,” she teased with a little smile. “Thank you for caring if I live or not.”

Jack bent forward and pressed a cool kiss against her forehead. “You are my everything, Scylla. I will be back before sunrise, I promise. Hopefully with good news.”

Jack left her then, shivering alone in the bed. She tried to sleep, but it was difficult. She had never felt this way before. She wasn’t a stranger to pain, because she could still bleed, but this felt as though her very body was starting to dissolve from the inside out.

She wouldn’t let herself drown in the fear. Jack would figure this out. She would be with Raelle.

And if this sickness did end it, then, well, she wouldn’t know. She’d be dead.

* * *

Jack had been alive for _many_ years. For a very long stretch of her life, she had thought her immortality a curse. She had been just a commoner, a girl bastard born. Her earliest memories had been of abuse and hunger. She did not even know who turned her. She had been ruthless, in the beginning. Angry and destructive.

When she found her coven, they helped to curb her more violent desires. When she met Scylla’s parents, she learned what real love felt like. It hadn’t been difficult to fall in love with Scylla’s mother, but Jack had known far before she even realized her feelings that they would not be returned.

So, of course, she had kept them to herself. She had been their friend, their family. They had treated her like they were blood. And when they told her that they had conceived, Jack had been conflicted. Their coven was strictly against born vampires simply because they didn’t understand them. There were always stories of such babies growing into monsters that hungered for the flesh of their kin.

Scylla had been the most beautiful thing Jack had ever seen in her long, long life. She’d helped them when Scylla’s mother went into labour, and she had been the first to hold Scylla. Those little blue eyes had opened and looked up at her, and Scylla had gripped onto her finger even though she was but a few minutes old, and Jack thought that, _this_ was the reason she had been turned. _This_ would be the thing she devoted her life to.

The night of Scylla’s birth, their coven found them. Her parents were captured, but Jack managed to escape with Scylla bundled in her arms. She knew that they had been executed, and she knew that they would want her to raise Scylla in their stead.

She would never forget the pleading look on her mother’s face, the promise on her lips. Love could be horrible when lost, and this could often break a vampire entirely. Many of them went rogue when they suffered emotional loss. Jack decided to keep her humanity, and it allowed her to experience the most beautiful emotions.

All of Scylla’s first moments were highlights in Jack’s life. It felt as though Scylla was her own born child. It didn’t matter to her that they weren’t biologically related. If fate was real, then this was destined. She was always meant to accept that little child into her unsure arms, and eventually her cold heart.

If Scylla died, Jack would have no reason to continue on with her existence. She would eagerly ask for a way out. She was sure Alder would execute her.

But she would not think about such things quite yet. Since she had been alive for _many_ years, she knew many people.

Jack had made as many allies as she had enemies, and one such ally was a different sort. His name was Anthony, and he was a born wolf. What made him so peculiar, was that he was mated to a born vampire. Jack had never met his lover before, but she knew that they had been together for an insanely long time. He was the best person to ask for advice.

They met up in a busy restaurant and Jack pulled her face in disgust when she saw Anthony sipping on coffee. He gave her a lifted brow when she slid into the seat in front of him.

“It tastes nice,” he explained.

Jack lifted her nose. “It smells repulsive.”

He rolled his eyes. “Says the creature that drinks icky blood.”

“Aren’t you the mutt that’s married to a creature that drinks icky blood?”

At that, he finally cracked. His eyes crinkled at the edges with his smile. “Yeah, and she’s amazing. I love _one_ bloodsucker.”

Jack rolled her eyes. “Thank you for meeting up with me so urgently.”

Anthony shrugged. “Hey, you sounded really freaked. Nothing freaks you out.” His eyes levelled with hers. If she wasn’t so fond of him, she would have made a comment about how badly he stank. His scent was disgusting to her. Like actual wet dog. To her nose, even born wolves were repulsive. “It’s Scylla, isn’t it?”

Jack nodded. “She is sick.”

Anthony quickly set his mug down, the brown liquid inside nearly spilling out from the force. His brows shot skyward and from the look on his face, he knew _exactly_ what was going on. Since he didn’t seem alarmed, Jack allowed herself to slump her shoulders and exhale in relief.

“Tell me it’s not what I’m assuming,” he laughed at her.

Jack scowled. “Yes, my child has involved herself with a mutt. She’s sick, Anthony. What do we do to cure her?”

The most annoying smirk lifted his lips. He seemed very delighted, suddenly, and Jack wanted to punt him across the restaurant. That was exactly why they met up in such public places. To prevent themselves from fighting—they had raging tempers—and to prevent others from ambushing them. The only thing the supernaturals agreed on was not being found out by the human population. Secrecy was their best weapon.

“So Scylla went and found herself a mutt to shack up with?” He flashed the points of his sharp teeth with his grin. “I can’t begin to explain how hilarious that is.”

“Anthony, I’m going to end your bloodline.”

“Har har, too late.”

Jack blinked. “Wait, what?”

Anthony’s smile turned up in intensity, and the softest emotion filled his eyes. “I’m only telling you because I trust you, and I know you won’t rat us out to anyone, least of all to hunter scum.” He circled the rim of his mug with a finger. “Ana and I had a baby.”

Jack blinked again. She stared at him, waiting for him to dissolve into giggles and shout ‘ _gotcha!’_ but he didn’t, and the pure dopey happiness on his face was genuine. Jack’s eyes widened to saucers.

“Anthony… you…?”

“Yeah,” he agreed, nodding. “We had a hybrid baby.”

Jack reached across the table and grabbed his hand in a tight grip. She felt so much emotion well up inside of her. It never failed to leave her breathless in awe, when things like this happened. “I did not know it was even possible. You’re two different species!”

He shrugged. “We figured, because we bonded so strongly, we would likely be able to have kids. So, we tried, and she’s almost a year old now.”

“And everything went well?”

“Beyond perfect. We were so fucking worried, you know? Because we know that the born have such low survival rates. But our little bean grew perfectly and the birth went well. She’s so healthy that it’s frightening.”

Jack continued to grip onto his hand. He laughed at the look of pure shock and delight on her face. She could be disdainful to his kind because of ingrained prejudice, but there was no taking away from how amazing this was.

“And what is she?” Jack asked. “What traits has she retained?”

“It’s still too early to see what she’ll grow up to be. We’ve had her tested by a close friend, and he says her DNA is like a perfect combination of both mine and Ana’s. He says that likely she’ll grow into all traits.”

“This is as frightening as it is wonderous.”

“I know. I’m fearful for her. We know absolutely nothing about hybrids. Hell, we don’t have _any_ hybrids. We barely know a thing about born ones like us. But I can tell you, she’s such cute little thing. She’s still so young, but she’s the sweetest thing ever.” He looked like he was about to melt right there. “I have no doubt that she will grow up to be a kind and compassionate person.”

Jack finally released his hand and withdrew back to her side of the table. “Anthony, what does my Scylla need to do to cure herself of this sickness?”

Anthony drained the last of his coffee. He set the mug down loudly. “Well, Jack, the only way to do it is for her little wolf to bite her. The wolf’s saliva is wreaking havoc on Scylla’s body. I don’t understand it much myself, but there’s just something that happens when a born vampire and born wolf come together. It’s like we’re almost made to be together. Her body has reacted very strongly to her wolf’s, and if she doesn’t get that bite, she won’t be able to feed ever again.”

“I don’t understand. She’s a vampire.”

“It’s pretty weird. Ana bit me first to feed, and after that we were fucking like animals. We couldn’t get enough of each other, but then all she could drink was my blood. It got to a point where even my blood wasn’t keeping her sated anymore. There was a part of her that needed the chemical release of the bite. So, I gave her the mating bite and then everything went back to normal.”

Jack let out a long, heavy breath. This was difficult news, but also a huge relief. She was honestly surprised Raelle hadn’t bit Scylla yet, and she supposed she could commend the little mutt for that. She was likely too scared to hurt her.

“The only issue, though,” Anthony said, holding up a finger, “is that the bite will change her at a biological level. Her scent will change completely. You won’t be able to tell her and her wolf apart. That means that others will know they have bonded, too.” He glanced away and frowned. “And we all know how the hatred between our kinds goes.”

Jack stood. “Thank you, Anthony. I’m incredibly grateful for the information. Thank you for trusting me with the news of your daughter. My congratulations as well, by the way.”

He stood and accepted her handshake. “Always a pleasure to meet up with you, Jack. Go and save your kid.”

She bopped him on the nose. “Keep yours safe. Sounds like she’s the start of something interesting.”

He seemed surprised at the nose bop, but Jack walked away before he could retaliate. Under the cover of night, she raced back into town and followed the now familiar scent until she reached Alder’s home where Raelle slept.

She couldn’t believe she was even doing this, but she had no choice. Alder didn’t seem to be home, thankfully, but Jack still stayed a bit of a distance away so as not to leave her scent too strongly. She found a tiny pebbled and chucked it at one of the windows.

“Raelle,” she called out in a low, level voice.

As expected, Raelle heard her easily. A light switched on and her window opened on the second floor. Raelle spotted her immediately and Jack could see the crease of confusion at her brow.

“Jack?” she said, her voice wary.

Jack sighed in dread. “Raelle, I need your help.”

“Is Scylla okay?”

“She will be.” She took in a breath to settle her annoyance. “But she needs the mating bite, Raelle.”

Raelle blinked stupidly at her. She disappeared inside then, rustled around and then Jack watched as she climbed out her window and landed softly on the ground. She was clearly still half-asleep, with her hair all over the place and pink lines across her cheek.

Her wolf scent made Jack’s nose wrinkle.

“ _What_?” Raelle asked her as soon as she stopped by her side.

Jack sighed. “It will be easier to show you.” She started walking away, then turned to see Raelle still just standing there. “Are you coming?”

Startled, Raelle started to follow.

Jack still couldn’t believe she was doing this. But what other choice did she have? If Scylla needed to be mated to a wolf for life, so be it.

Jack would love Scylla no matter what, for as long as her cold heart still thumped in her chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... how about that hybrid baby? ha ha... Thanks so much for reading! I'm so glad I finally managed to get back into this. Next chapter will finally have the bite! And Abi is gonna join our gang of idiots pretty soon :)) did someone say Abi walking in on Raylla getting bloody and dirty and thinking they're fighting?? :)) Comments are always so appreciated!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *wipes sweat off brow* phew is it damn hot in here? No? Well it will be ;)))
> 
> Chapter warning: Biting. Smut. Blood drinking.

She had a fitful sleep after Jack left, constantly torn between bleary wakefulness and watery slumber. Whenever her eyes fluttered open, they were sore. Even in the short bursts of sleep she managed to get, there was no real rest. There was an ache in her chest too intense to let her relax. 

Hours later, she turned onto her back with a groan of pain, then stiffened. 

_Raelle_ was coming.

Scylla didn't know how, but she could sense that Raelle was near. It was in the way her strength started to bleed back in, how it grew easier to breathe and her skin grew less sensitive and papery. She could smell Raelle’s scent before she should have been able to, and then she was really there, hovering over the bed and looking at Scylla with those beautiful eyes. 

From the look on her face, Scylla guessed it. She coughed out a laugh. 

"Jack is a traitor."

Curiously, Jack wasn't even home. Where had she disappeared to?

Raelle let out a sigh. "Why didn't you tell me you were sick?"

Scylla sat up. Even though the sickness was receding because of Raelle being so near, the clawing hunger was back. It was like a deep pit opened in her stomach and it was so painful that Scylla winced. Raelle gently cupped her cheek. 

"Scylla," Raelle grumbled, worried and exasperated 

She took in a shaky breath. "Because you would have left me."

There was vulnerability in the admission. Scylla did not know her parents, but there was a part that ached inside of her with the knowledge of them. She didn't want to be abandoned. 

"You know that I love you, Scyl."

"But you're a stubborn puppy."

Raelle chuckled softly. There was definitely tension in her body, but she seemed much more relaxed than Scylla was expecting after finding out. That could mean only one thing. 

“Jack figured it out?” she asked, her voice laced with hope.

Raelle’s brow creased. “She did.”

Relief crashed into Scylla in waves. She didn’t give Raelle more time to explain and surged forward to draw her into a deep, hungry kiss. It seemed that whatever had been on Raelle’s mind was wiped clean, because her arms wrapped around Scylla, drew her in impossibly close. A little rumble started in Raelle’s chest, one that reminded Scylla a little of a cat’s purr and she would certainly tease on the fact. But not now. She could feel it in her blood, the sudden building tension between them.

In the span of a few seconds, as their lips brushed hungrily and tongues slid together, Scylla’s strength returned. All but for the hunger, she felt normal again. She could feel her eyes change, could feel the painful throbbing of the veins around her brows and temples. Her groan was needy as it pushed between their lips, swallowed whole by Raelle’s eagerness.

“Raelle,” she managed as she was gently pushed back.

Raelle said no more. There was a decided focus to her touches, the way she softly and gently removed Scylla’s clothing, taking precious seconds to just caress the bared skin. Scylla shivered in a way she never had before.

Up until then, sex with Raelle had always been hot and sweaty. They would crash into each other like opposing waves. It was a game as much as it was a race, to see who would come first, who would crumble and dissolve against the other’s determination. But now, Raelle felt like a gentle ripple that was steadily overlapping everything that Scylla was.

It wasn’t just the physical. Raelle’s tongue against her throat said _I want you_ and her fingertips brushing against Scylla’s hip said _I treasure you._ It made tears well up in Scylla’s eyes, eventually spilling out and down her pale cheeks. When Raelle noticed, she cracked a little grin and wiped the edges of watery tears away with a thumb.

“You’re crying,” Raelle told her softly, gently, with hearts in her eyes and devotion in her voice.

Scylla clung onto her desperately, pulling Raelle’s overheating body tightly against her own. A leg wrapped around Raelle’s waist, and though they were both naked, wet, aroused, this was about the emotions. The rest could wait.

“I’ve never felt like this before,” Scylla confessed quietly, almost weakly. Her heart was beating faster than it ever had in her entire life. It felt straight. Foreign.

“I’m worried that this isn’t us,” was Raelle’s reply. She exhaled, but her thumb kept sweeping across the slope of Scylla’s cheek. “What if we’re just being controlled by our instincts? Would we even want each other if not for your imprinting, my bite?”

Scylla felt paper thin. Her tears overflowed again, warm and salty. She could smell the tang of them, could hear the gentle plopping against the sheets. When her eyes glittered open, Raelle was studying every detail of her face with a fierceness that only a wolf could have.

“Little puppy,” Scylla told her, smiling through the emotional pain, “can’t you feel it?”

Raelle’s brow twitched ever so slightly. She spared a moment to inhale, and Scylla knew that Raelle was just as overwhelmed by her scent as she was. “Yeah,” she admitted.

“Maybe it is all just down to biology. Maybe it was simply just luck that we found each other, and that we feel this way. But I’m making the decision to be with you.”

“You’re sick,” Raelle argued. “You couldn’t leave now if you wanted to.”

“I could. No one else is in the front seat of my mind, Rae.”

Raelle was growing frustrated. There was clearly something she wasn’t saying quite yet. Her scent was still eager, and her arousal was heavy against the back of Scylla’s throat. Honestly, if she wasn’t so bursting with emotion she would have started to beg for any touch between her legs. With every heartbeat through her body, her clit pulsed in time. She wouldn’t be surprised if there was already a damp spot beneath them.

Moonlight trickled into the room, carved between slightly parted curtains. It lit Raelle’s pale skin in an almost ethereal glow. Her eyes were already unusually bright, pulsing a deep blue that went from light to dark as her mood shifted. Her ears had turned pointed, and Scylla marvelled at her.

Here was a creature that was meant to be her end—her enemy, her rival. They were made to rip into each other. They were meant to hate each other.

But she lifted her hand, gently caressed the line of Raelle’s ear. She trailed down to her cheek, the scars there and down to her jaw. Raelle leaned into her touch like an eager puppy, and it made Scylla smile.

She knew Raelle wasn’t trying to dissuade her. Their weeks of back and forth had taught her that much. Raelle didn’t give up, certainly not on people that meant something to her. It wasn’t just a wolf thing, but a Raelle thing. Her loyalty was bone deep.

No, something was scaring her.

“Talk to me,” Scylla whispered. “Why are you feeling like this?”

Raelle almost deflated entirely, like a lone balloon caught at the edge of a livewire, now free. The fight, the resistance, slipped out of her tensed muscles and she sank down bonelessly against Scylla. The press of her was firm and warm, and Scylla absolutely loved it. Raelle wasn’t too heavy, and Scylla was more than strong enough to bear her weight.

“Jack figured out why you’re getting sick.”

“I figured. It’s because I bit you, isn’t it?”

“She explained it briefly on the way here. Apparently, your body is attacking itself and rejecting blood because you need—” She cut herself off, words tapering out.

Scylla swallowed loudly. Raelle’s head shifted and warm lips pressed to the spot where neck and shoulder met. She shivered, and there was no doubt that Raelle felt it.

“I need?” she pushed.

Raelle sighed. “You need the chemical release of my bite. There’s… there’s this chemical that my body produces when I want to bite. That’s why the need gets so bad. It’s not supposed to make someone sick, though.”

Scylla couldn’t deny the little thrill of excitement that went through her. This was conformation of something she had been feeling ever since the first time she rejected a meal. She’d known she needed the bite, and she was endlessly curious to see what it would do to her.

“Do you not want to bite me?”

Raelle immediately lifted up, biceps tightening as she held herself up. “No, that’s not it! Of course I want to bite you.”

Sweat dotted along Raelle’s brow, a testament to how badly she was holding herself back. Scylla was exercising immense control as well. She could hear the loud pulse of Raelle’s blood, could smell the warmth of it. She knew its familiar, delicious taste, and she craved for it badly. She was so, so hungry. Not only for Raelle’s fingers inside of her, mouth on her, but for her blood.

“Then?”

“Scylla.” Raelle’s eyes burrowed deeply into hers, scouring for something beyond all the walls she kept up, down into her very soul. This time, Scylla decided to let her. She would never be so naked again. “My bite is for life. When wolves bond, it’s not something that can be taken back. We’re not like humans who form relationships that are so fragile that they can be broken just by no contact. You… you’ll be bonded to me. For life. However long we live.”

Scylla allowed her brow to crease in confusion. “I’m in love with you,” she clarified. “I mean, I could go the human route and ask you to marry me, if that’ll make it easier on you.”

Raelle’s face filled with confusion. “You… what?”

Scylla laughed at her. “Raelle, didn’t you think I want this? You? Yes, I want to spend my life with you.” Her nostrils flared as she inhaled deeply, and Raelle’s thick, warm scent slammed into her. She could feel her own wetness pulse out of her, and her inner muscles clamped down on nothing. “So, if you don’t fuck me _right now_ and bite me, I might die of frustration.”

All of the doubts disappeared and Raelle’s lips pulled back over sexy, sharp teeth as she grinned. Her eyes glowed very brightly, but Scylla didn’t have time to admire them. Suddenly, Raelle was pressed against her again, and a hand slid down to between her legs. She let her arm wrap around Raelle’s back, nails dragging down her spine.

Raelle’s lips pressed to her throat once more, and Scylla bared it openly for her. “I love you,” she panted out softly.

Raelle’s fingertips circled her engorged clit and Scylla let out a soft whimper. She really, really did not need any foreplay. She was just about to open her mouth and say so, but Raelle already knew. Of course she knew.

“I love— _aah.”_ Her fangs sank into her lower lip as Raelle sank into her dripping heat with two fingers. She curled them just so, and as she started to thrust, she hit that sensitive, full spot that had Scylla rolling her hips, meeting her hard for each thrust.

Scylla pressed her cheek to Raelle’s temple, her face contorted in absolute ecstasy. It had never felt this good before. Every nerve ending was on absolute fire. Every thrust inside was like liquid heat. It was almost alarming how rapidly her orgasm approached, and it didn’t help that Raelle was making cute little noises against her throat, and then she finally felt it.

The tip of her teeth. Sharp. The edges dug into her skin. Raelle’s fingers went slower, but deeper, and Scylla’s body shook with every slam back in. Raelle wasn’t being especially gentle with her, and she craved it.

“Scylla,” Raelle mumbled drunkenly against her throat. Her other hand that was not otherwise ruining Scylla’s entire world lifted into her peripheral vision. She pressed her wrist to Scylla’s lips. “Drink.”

Without needing more prompting, Scylla ran her tongue along the throbbing veins at Raelle’s wrist. The fingers pounding into her drove harder, faster. The orgasm was so near, her vision wavered. Scylla could feel every heartbeat, could smell their scents thickening, filling the room. If any wolf or vampire was in the vicinity, they would think this a mating den. The thought of someone being able to smell this moment only made Scylla hornier. Let them know. Let them marvel. Let them _want_.

“Scylla,” Raelle cried out again, desperate.

Scylla’s teeth pressed hard against her skin, not quite penetrating yet.

“Come,” Raelle growled. It was possessive and hot, and it sent Scylla entirely over the edge into near oblivion.

The orgasm tore right through her and she arched violently up into Raelle, because at the exact moment the tension snapped inside of her, Raelle’s teeth sank into her neck. She felt the sharp spike of pain, but it was the most exquisite feeling she had ever felt. It beat even the fingers still pumping between her legs.

She had only enough sense to follow through with her bite too, just in time, and as her body filled with euphoria unknown to her kind, Raelle’s blood flowed hotly across her tongue.

It was an overwhelming rise of sensation. It felt almost like the axis of her world shifted. Everything felt… different, brighter. It was as if her sense of smell sharpened, her skin grew infinitely more sensitive and she could pick up sounds far away.

Raelle was growling softly, and it was only that noise that kept Scylla firmly in place. Her orgasm felt never-ending, but it must have only lasted a few minutes. When she started tumbling down from the high, she pulled her lips free from Raelle’s wrist and let her head fall sideways. She couldn’t help the little needy noises she let out.

Raelle’s fingers were still as they sat, full, inside of her. Her teeth, however, were still in. After a few haggard breaths, Raelle pulled them out and gently licked at the wounds. They sealed up, but Scylla could _sense_ that they were scarred over.

Her senses returned to normal as her mind returned to her. Suddenly, all she could hear was Raelle’s heavy breathing against her ear. From the scent, she could tell Raelle had come too, and this knowledge made her smirk.

“I can’t see it, but I know you’re smirking,” Raelle mumbled tiredly against her collarbone.

She chuckled. “I’m just glad it was as good for you.”

“How do you feel?”

They both moved in sync, hands coming up and fingers twining together. Scylla stared at their linked hands for a moment, puzzling over where she started and Raelle ended. It made her chest tight with emotion, but she was entirely at peace.

“I feel like the world is finally still.”

“Yeah. Me too.”

“Is it weird? It’s like, before this everything was so loud and chaotic, but right now I just feel… peace.”

Raelle lifted herself away from the crook of her neck, and Scylla bent forward to meet her halfway. They kissed tenderly, lovingly, and then Scylla playfully nicked her lower lip and suckled at the tiny bead of blood before the wound healed over. Raelle chuckled against her mouth.

“Naughty girl,” she purred.

“Mm,” Scylla agreed with that same insufferable smirk, “but yours now, forever.”

Raelle’s eyes softened. “Forever and ever, no take backs.”

Surprising her, Scylla flipped them over. Raelle burst out laughing and when Scylla’s fingers dug into her sides where she was most sensitive, the laughter turned into breathless giggles. She stopped tickling her quickly, but then she pressed kisses all over Raelle’s face, neck, chest. She paused to press her ear to her chest, listened to the too-fast pattering of her heart.

“I meant it too, you know.”

“Meant what?”

Their hands linked again. They fit together perfectly.

“Marry me.”

Raelle was silent for a short, thoughtful moment. Scylla immediately knew her answer before she even said it. Something deep inside of her just… knew. This was likely due to their bond. Scylla would still need to figure out how this bond thing worked, how it changed the dynamic between them. Luckily, they would have all the time in the world.

“Yeah, okay,” Raelle answered her. “But I’m wearing a suit.”

Scylla dissolved into embarrassing giggles. Raelle just pressed a kiss to her hair.

“Then me too,” she choked out. “I’ll totally wear one too.”

“Who cares what we wear, though?”

“I wouldn’t mind getting married naked.”

“God, we’re still so young though.”

“We don’t need to do it right away.”

Raelle snorted. “Oh please, as if we’re not going to get married in court the second we graduate.”

Scylla laughed. “Imagine the rumours.”

“Screw the rumours.”

They curled into each other, falling silent at the same moment. It was a little weird how in tune they suddenly were. Scylla could feel subtle emotions they were not entirely her own. She could ignore them, which was a relief, but if she really focused, she could feel them more intensely.

Raelle was content. Happy. Excited.

Scylla felt the same. Her eyes fluttered closed against her wishes, and she fell asleep with Raelle’s heartbeat in her ear, and love in her heart.

They both slept peacefully.

* * *

Jack knew that the chances of the wolf and Scylla creating the mating bond without, well, _mating_ , were very slim. She liked to think that she was progressive, and it wasn’t that she disliked the idea of Scylla being sexual. It was just… the idea of someone biting Scylla made her burn in anger.

So, Jack concluded, it was simply smarter for her to be elsewhere. She wasn’t sure how much time they needed, but from the few times she had unfortunately been home whenever Raelle snuck in, she knew likely not long. She waited until the sun barely started to creep along the horizon, then she headed home.

She could smell the scent instantly. It was both familiar and foreign, and it was strange. It smelt like something entirely new, something she didn’t know. The only tinge of familiarity was something that was just unmistakably _Scylla_ to her, but that was from knowing her scent for so many years.

This would be a problem. If Jack was a human, no doubt she would have gotten a headache.

The house was silent when she strode inside, and she detected their breathing upstairs. They sounded far too relaxed. She gave them a few more hours, staying up past her own bedtime, and waited for them to both stumble down the stairs.

They were rumbled, but they were glowing. Jack was at the kitchen counter, nursing a bag of blood as she scrolled through news on her phone. They were both surprised to see her, and likely they were too wrapped up in each other to even sense her.

“Good morning,” Jack greeted calmly.

Scylla gave her a warm, dopey smile. “Morning, Jack. Shouldn’t you be asleep?”

Jack pulled another mouthful of blood down her throat. “I wanted to speak with you before you headed to school.”

They sat down across from her and Scylla went to the fridge for a bag. When she sat down on Raelle’s lap, she closed her eyes as she drank. Jack waited, watching, and relaxed when all seemed well. If she could feed properly again, then that was a huge relief. Nothing else besides her health mattered.

“Thank you for letting me stay,” Raelle told her.

Jack lifted her nose instinctively to scent the air, but there was none of that unbearable dog smell. She just smelt like, well, _Scylla_ , in a way. It was strange, but it was pleasant.

“Thank you for helping,” Jack returned. “But I do need to talk to the two of you concerning what’s happened.” They both nodded, focused on her. Jack exhaled. “You’ve probably already noticed that your scents have changed.” They nodded in sync. “We’re lucky that there aren’t many supernaturals in Origin Peak, but we’re heading towards Beltane. Alder will also immediately know that you’ve bonded, and she’s very invested in whatever happens between you. I don’t trust it, which is why I wanted this to remain secret.” She tossed the empty blood bag, successfully sending it into their bin.

“However,” she continued, “secrecy is no longer an option. Even the witches will be able to tell that you’ve bonded. This goes far beyond regular bonding, too. Whatever this did, it’s changed you at the core.”

Scylla bobbed her head in agreement. “Yeah, I can feel it.”

“At the first sign of trouble, we’ll leave.” Her eyes turned sharp when Scylla looked like she wanted to argue. “We’ll take your mate with, Scylla.”

Scylla deflated, and her eyes sparkled at Jack, likely from the respectful term instead of the usual insult. Jack couldn’t insult Raelle anymore. Not only was it disrespectful to Scylla, but she didn’t feel that animosity towards Raelle that she had mere hours ago. Maybe their species really were made to hate each other. But whatever biological need fuelled their mutual hatred, it was entirely gone. In its place was just a subtle hint of affection and definite protectiveness. Jack just accepted the fact that she now had two daughters, and whatever Raelle did from here on was her business too.

“What’s the plan?” Raelle asked her. “Alder says she’s leaving town for the rest of the year. We can stay here to graduate and then leave as soon as we can.”

Jack nodded. “Ideally we should be able to stay here long enough for both of you to complete your schooling.” Her gaze fixed on Scylla. “Immortal you might be, but this is a human made world. I want you to have all the resources you can.”

“Can’t we just forge whatever documents we need?” Scylla asked her with a pout.

True, they could. Jack had many false identities. It was required to carry on living the way they did. They never remained in one place for too long. So far, they had been in Origin Peak for two years, which was far overextending their usual stay. This was only thanks to Alder.

_Alder._

That was another problem. Jack had her own contacts, and she would need to find out whatever she could on Alder’s motivations and whatever it was she was busy with. There was just _something_ telling Jack that Alder was up to no good.

“Not for this.”

There was a knock at their door. Raelle scented the air first, and her expression turned to surprise. Jack gave her a little grin of amusement.

“It seems your escort has arrived,” she said, standing up.

The two girls followed her to the door, and when she opened the door to reveal Anacostia, glowering at them with thinly veiled annoyance, Scylla looked at her in question.

“Collar,” Anacostia greeted Raelle. “I see you really are bad at lying.”

Raelle glared at her. “Ma’am, with all due respect, what the fuck?”

“Anacostia will cover for you,” Jack told them. “She is Alder’s second in command here at Hunter HQ, and she is one of my closest friends.”

The smile they shared betrayed the fact that they were closer than friends. It went beyond societal ideals.

“Looks like I’m on babysitting duty,” Anacostia taunted them. Her grin was a little pleased, a little annoyed. “Before we can form a proper plan, we need to know what Alder is really up to. There’s no hiding your relationship from here on out. Beltane is so close too. I suspect something might happen during the festival.”

Jack watched the way Raelle moved closer to Scylla, as if she could already protect her from the dangers headed their way. It lit her chest up with pride and love, and she decided then that Raelle was a good enough partner for her, if her first instinct was to protect. Even though Scylla was far from a damsel in need of rescuing.

“Right,” Raelle sighed. “Beltane. Pain in my ass.”

Scylla looked around at them, confused. “What’s the issue with Beltane?”

Jack lifted a brow. “The town will be flooded with wolves, Scyl,” she explained. Scylla’s eyes widened almost comically. “And you smell very much like you’ve bonded to a wolf.”

“Oh,” she breathed out.

Raelle let out a sudden growl. Her eyes flashed brightly and Jack noticed that she had barely-shifted. It was so curious, to see her do so unconsciously, where it took the turned hours of pain and suffering for their change.

The born really were a marvel. They were… amazing.

“I’ll fight _anyone_ that touches Scylla,” Raelle growled lowly, her voice layered in threat. Her voice even deepened a little.

Scylla just gave her heart-eyes. Jack rolled her eyes, then turned to Anacostia.

“I assume Alder went for it?”

Anacostia gave her a little nod. “She’s in the palm of my hand. From today, Raelle is my new charge.”

Jack exhaled. “Good.”

Scylla and Raelle started fervently kissing right there, so Jack pulled them apart and ignore the way Raelle growled at her. Scylla reacted less aggressively, but she was certainly not impressed.

“Before you really turn this place into a mating den, Raelle does need to return home before Alder suspects anything.”

They took an absurdly long time to say goodbye, and Jack watched them with a tiny little grin. Anacostia noticed, of course, and snorted softly. Jack knew her long enough to understand the look on her face, and it made her chuckle.

After Raelle left, Scylla went upstairs to get ready for the day. Jack retired to her bed downstairs. Being up so late drained her, especially when it was light out. There was always a little bit of unease right underneath her skin when the sunlight was so close.

Despite her worries, she had a peaceful rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My tumblr is danijaynel if you have any feelings about this fic 👀


	7. Chapter 7

Having to leave Scylla behind wasn’t quite as difficult as Raelle had expected, but there was an unusual sense of unease rippling through her entire body that hadn’t been there before. Anacostia kept shooting her looks as they cruised along the quiet street, but Raelle was in a good mood. She didn’t even feel like giving her the usual attitude.

“How long did you know?” Raelle asked.

Anacostia’s lips twitched into an almost grin. “When you let her feed on you.”

Raelle’s eyes widened. “You saw that?”

“Of course I saw. I see everything.”

“Oh wow, so you’re all-knowing?”

“I’m just very perceptive. I could sense something between the two of you, perhaps before even you did.”

Raelle exhaled. She... wasn’t nearly as annoyed as she would have been. In fact, it made her feel a little relieved that someone else knew. She didn’t want to keep this relationship secret, and she certainly didn’t want them to pretend to hate each other anymore.

God, everything felt so different. It was like the world around her appeared more brightly. The sun was warmer against her skin, the wind fresher. She opened the window and stuck her head out to feel the cool air as it buffeted against her. As usual, she was running incredibly hot, but that was probably also just because her emotions were raging inside of her.

“Don’t fall out,” Anacostia warned.

Raelle let out a laugh. When they made it to Alder’s, Raelle pulled herself back in and frowned at the silent, dark house. “She’s out,” she said. “Her car is gone.”

Anacostia studied the front of the house. “I’m going to use a bit of magic and mask your scent. It’ll give you enough time to grab your things. Is there a lot to move over?”

“No, just my clothes. I don’t have a lot of junk.”

The look Anacostia gave her was full of pity, but Raelle let it go. It was hard to plant her roots when she didn’t feel like she belonged anywhere. But here, maybe she did. She wanted to settle down, wherever that was, with Scylla. And her brand new parent, apparently.

Anacostia was giving her a look. Maybe  _ two _ new parents.

Raelle sat quietly as Anacostia made weird noises in her throat and drew invisible symbols across the veins at her wrist. When it was done, Raelle sneezed hard.

“Sorry, it’ll be uncomfortable.”

Her sense of smell was all over the place, and a sharp throbbing started deep in her sinus. Without waiting for the command, Raelle hopped out the car and went inside. She only packed two bags with her things, did a second run through of the house and then hurried back to the car. The moment she collapsed inside, the magic dissipated and she could smell properly again. She took in big, heavy gulps of air.

“Thanks,” she mumbled. “Didn’t know you’re a witch.”

Anacostia’s smile was cheeky. “Good.”

After that, they went directly to school. There was no time to do anything else. Raelle knew that Anacostia was meant to take her home after school to pack, or that was at least what Alder was expecting.

“I’ll see you here after school.”

Raelle nodded. “Cool.”

It was still pretty early, so instead of heading inside Raelle walked along the edge of the school, fingers drumming against the rusted metal fence. The trees were swaying gently with the morning breeze, and she took in the varied scents around her.

Soil. Leaves. A squirrel. A cat. Another cat. Birds. A—

Raelle’s eyes snapped wide open. She scented the air again, deeper, and her brows furrowed. There was that sickly sweet, nauseating smell of a vampire. It was very, very faint, and she could be mistaking it, but it made her immediately uneasy. She cautiously edged closer to the gate, glanced at her surroundings and then leapt over effortlessly. She landed with a little grunt and headed into the trees.

Here was where she would often shift before running home, and here was where the hunters trained. The trees were dense and tightly packed together, so it was difficult to stare ahead for anything. Raelle kept spotting moving shadows, and she thought she could hear footsteps.

Her heart was pounding in her chest, echoing in her ears. The hairs at the back of her neck stood up. Whatever was here, it was making her fight instincts thrum through her. Without realizing it, Raelle’s teeth and claws grew out.

A loud snap sounded behind her, making her whirl around. A group of birds immediately exploded into the air, shouting “ _ haa!” _ as they went, offended that she had frightened them. When the forest settled, it was unnaturally quiet. The only thing Raelle could hear was her own haggard breaths and her drumbeat of a heart.

Raelle closed her eyes tightly. Something was telling her to focus. Listen.  _ Find them _ . But who? Why? What was going on? Why was her skin crawling?

There was no way a vampire made it through hunter patrol, and it was daylight, too. Was it perhaps an after-scent? Raelle exhaled.

Something chirped, another thing slithered, and then the forest slowly started to wake up. Raelle sensed that Scylla had arrived at school, and she could feel exactly where she was. It seemed Scylla could sense her too, because she was making her way over.

Raelle still felt rattled. When Scylla stepped out from behind a tree, she had a little crease of worry between her brows.

“Raelle?” she asked. “Why are you growling?”

Why  _ was _ she growling? Raelle hadn’t even realized. The sound halted in her chest, and Scylla’s hands cupped her warm cheeks. With Scylla here, the unease was even worse. She wrapped her arms around Scylla and pulled her in close, until there was barely any space between their bodies. She buried her nose in Scylla’s hair and inhaled.

“Rae?” Scylla repeated. “You’re freaking me out.”

Raelle exhaled. Her muscles were tense, as if she was waiting for an attack. But any lingering vampire scent was already gone, and there was nothing else here.

“I thought I smelt a vampire,” she finally explained. “Something was definitely here.”

Scylla gently scratched the back of her neck, which helped to ease her nerves. Raelle eventually melted into her arms, and she told herself to remember that, regardless of her instinct to protect, Scylla was more than strong enough to defend herself.

“I’ll tell Jack. If anyone was here, she might know.”

There was a little quiver in her voice, so faint that Raelle almost missed it. She pulled away and touched their foreheads.

“You think it might be about you?”

Scylla chuckled. “Are you reading my mind?”

“Like you can’t tell what’s on mine.”

She sighed. “A vampire would have no reason to come here. It could be for me. My coven could still be hunting for me.”

Raelle made a sound in her chest. “They’re not your coven.”

She pulled away entirely, forcing herself to give Scylla space and not entirely overwhelm her. To her delight, Scylla hooked a finger in her belt loop and tugged her closer again.

“You won’t overwhelm me. It’s too late for that.”

Raelle lifted a brow. “We need to not do this in front of  humans .”

“Agreed. Now are you going to kiss me?”

Happily, Raelle leaned in, cupping Scylla’s chin, and kissed her with every soft, warm emotion she  had within her . The last of her upset completely melted away, and Raelle decided she would tell Jack and Anacostia, and let them deal with it. If a vampire was in Origin Peak, they would go into immediate lockdown.

The bell had already rung, so the two of them hurried to get to class. People were whispering about them as they walked side by side, not holding hands. Before they separated to head to their desks, Raelle snuck one more kiss in.

People seemed surprised, especially the hunters. Even Scylla blinked at her, but shortly after she flashed a sharp-fanged grin. Raelle’s grin matched hers.

There, she thought. Something concrete for them to whisper about.

* * *

Tally felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders following the entire school seeing Raelle and Scylla lock lips—not once—but multiple times through the day. She was ecstatic that she didn’t have to hide it anymore, but more so she was bursting with excitement to discover that they had  _ bonded. _

As soon as their lunch hour started, Tally left Abi’s side and rushed over to Raelle’s lone table in the corner of the cafeteria. This time, Scylla was sitting next to her.

Tally noticed it immediately. They had the same feel about them. Sometimes they moved in complete sync, and it was honestly adorable. She wanted to squeal, but she knew absolutely no one would appreciate that. So she settled instead for surprising them—because they were too busy staring at each other with dopey expressions—and tugged them both into her arms from behind.

Raelle made a strangled noise of surprise, but Scylla just laughed at her. Raelle quickly figured out it was her and Tally felt the tension drain from her body.

“Warn a girl, Tal,” Raelle grumbled.

She dropped into the seat across from them. “I’m sorry, I was just super excited.” She didn’t hide her glee, and it was delightful when Raelle’s cheeks tinged a mild pink. “So, anything new happen recently?”

Scylla stared at her, unblinking—which was a little creepy, Tally would admit—and grinned to show her fangs. Raelle let out a little chuckle and sent Scylla a look, so Tally figured they were sharing a joke that she wasn’t in on. It didn’t matter, because  _ inside jokes? _ They were so adorable.

Tally felt eyes on her and went still. Across the room, Abi was staring with a deep frown. Moments later, she and a bunch of other hunters left the cafeteria. One of their senior soldiers stood at the cafeteria entrance, and when Tally spotted her she was beckoned over with a tilted chin.

Something was wrong.

“Hey, guys, I gotta go.” She stood, missing the surprised look Raelle sent her. “We’ll catch up about this later!”

All hunters being pulled from school could only mean one thing: there was a vampire in town.

* * *

Professor Hunt stood stoically at his patient’s bedside, his heart thrumming uncomfortably warm against his chest. It was just him and the man, but only one of them was still breathing. A thin line of blood trickled from the man’s nostrils, and the vessels in his eyes had all burst. His skin, once beautifully brown, had gone splotchy with green and purple.

He had died a terrible death, and it was most unfortunate. Hunt finally let out a sigh. The sealed door to the testing chamber swung open, allowing two of his assistants to enter and unstrap Patient Y from the table. They struggled with his bulk, but they managed to dump him into a body bag and pull him away. While they were working, Hunt went over to a nearby table. There, he crossed out the profile for Patient Y.  _ Failure. _ Again. He had been sure that this was it. He had finally perfected it. The first round of treatments had worked, damnit!

Hunt’s breathing picked up as his anger spiked. He gripped the pen so hard in his fist that it snapped in two and dug into his skin, drawing blood. Dots of red and black dribbled against his pants and shoes.

“Again,” a robotic voice announced through the speakers.

Hunt lifted his head. He looked at the mirror, where beyond he knew his superior waited, watching. He had never met them, but he had spoken to them. Taken orders. The voice was disguised, so he had no way to tell who it was. He guessed that he likely knew this person, otherwise why else would they mask their voice like this?

“We need fresh samples,” Hunt said to the robotic voice. “Our current data is too incomplete.”

There was a very long pause, in which Hunt worried his superior had left. Then there was a soft crackling over the speaker, then the voice.

“Done. Continue as you were.”

After that, Hunt knew his superior had left. Excitement raced through him. This meant he would be given new test subjects. Patient Y had been a lone werewolf who had come to them of his own free will. It was truly unfortunate that they could not keep their promises to him, but Hunt supposed it no longer mattered. The man was dead, he didn’t know.

If he could just get different samples. Anything. He could use that, and could finally create the perfect formula. He knew that if he did not succeed soon, his bloated body would be the next one they dragged out of here in a bag.

He stared at his own reflection, at the frazzled blonde hair atop his head and his pale, tired blue eyes. He didn’t need sleep. This research would change  _ everything _ .

Hunt left the testing chamber for his office, where he would write up a detailed report of his failings and begin the process for Patient Z.

The cut on his palm had already healed over. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a specific fic request in mind? Wanna show your appreciation for all the fic I've written so far? Head on over to my tumblr bio to read how you can do that! As always thanks a ton for reading ;)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly? I'm super proud of myself for actually getting this written, so here it is a day early. I had a terrible week lol. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

After school, Raelle met up with Anacostia at her car, exactly where they had parted that morning. Anacostia looked troubled, and her scent was clearly distressed. Raelle made a show of sniffing the air.

“Vampire in town,” Anacostia told her with a glare. “We’re dispatching a unit to investigate and apprehend.”

Raelle almost bared her teeth. “A vampire?”

They climbed into the car. “You don’t sound entirely surprised.”

“I was going to tell you anyway, but I picked up a faint scent this morning. I thought it was a vampire. Guess I was right.”

Anacostia grew even more troubled at this news. “Perfect. Alder leaves for some diplomatic meeting across the world and we immediately get invaded.”

“What, scared she’ll ground you when she gets back?”

Anacostia cut her a severe look. “No! I don’t care about that. My priority is yours and Scylla’s safety, above even this town.”

Raelle blinked in surprise. “Why our safety?”

“Raelle, there’s a reason Scylla and her guardian settled here. A reason Jack begged Alder for help. This is the safest place for someone like Scylla to openly live and go to school.”

“Yeah, cause vampires hate her kind.”

“Not only that. Some of them hunt her kind.”

This was news to Raelle. Granted, her knowledge on vampires in general was really lacking. Wolves were so damn self absorbed. But hearing this now, her protective instincts were going wild.

“Stop your damn growling,” Anacostia muttered. “Scylla is safe. Jack is with her, remember?”

“I know. I can’t help it.”

They fell silent as they drove, and when they stopped at Anacostia’s home they still didn’t speak. Raelle had to resist the urge to shift and run like a wild animal to Scylla’s home, just to check if she was alright. Maybe she would do that later, once Anacostia went to sleep. It would be nice to live with a human, she supposed. She could get away with a lot. She could be really quiet when she wanted to.

Anacostia’s home was smaller than Raelle expected, but very warm and cosy. The colour scheme was warm browns and clean white, and everything smelt so comforting. She paused in the hallway to just inhale deeply, and she was hit hard in the chest with nostalgia and pain.  _ This _ was the smell of home: a home she had lost when her mother died.

Warm fingers brushed against her cheek and Raelle’s eyes snapped open. Anacostia gently wiped her tears away, frowning.

“I’m here for you, Raelle,” she told her gently. “Not just because I was ordered to. I heard what happened to you, and I understand. You’re safe here.”

Raelle swallowed the lump in her throat. “Thanks, Mamacostia.”

The tension in the air dissolved and Anacostia let out a surprised bark of laughter. “Mamacostia?”

“Yeah. You’re seriously like an overprotective mom.”

Anacostia shook her head and switched the light on. Raelle hadn’t needed it to see everything in the room, but she did squint in discomfort as her eyes adjusted. “Can’t have kids of my own, so I guess I’ll settle for just adopting all the stragglers that come my way.”

Raelle’s fingers danced absently against the strap of her bag. “You can’t have kids?”

Anacostia slightly lifted her shirt, revealing an ugly scar that ran the length of her belly, disappearing into her pants. She gave a bitter smile. “Werewolf attack,” she explained. “Nearly gauged all my organs out.”

Raelle opened her mouth, didn’t know what to say, closed it. Guilt that wasn’t even her own filled her. She couldn’t understand how most of the supernaturals were just so vile. She understood they were basically apex predators, but were they not still human at heart? Did they have no conscience at all?

“It’s okay,” Anacostia said, studying her face. “I don’t blame all wolves. A human could have attacked me just as bad.”

She started to turn away, probably to her room or something, but Raelle suddenly shot out and grabbed her hands. Very suddenly she felt small and fragile, and her eyes darted to the ground when Anacostia gave her a questioning look.

“Anacostia, I, uh...” Emotion welled up in her throat again. She could feel the tears press at her eyes. Sometimes, the grief just crashed right over her. Maybe it was her new bond, still, that made everything feel so fresh and intense. Or maybe she just hadn’t dealt with her grief in a healthy way yet. Anacostia, somehow, knew this.

Raelle was engulfed by strong arms, and she couldn’t resist burying her nose against Anacostia’s shoulder and inhaling her comforting scent. The hug was cathartic. It was exactly what she needed. When Anacostia pulled away, Raelle had warm tears pouring down her cheeks again.

“Come on, Pup,” she teased her, playfully tapping under her chin. “You’re ruining your bad girl image.”

Raelle laughed and wiped at her face. “Who cares about a stupid image?” She straightened the strap over her shoulder. “Sometimes it hurts too much not to cry.”

Anacostia hugged her again. Raelle fully believed that Anacostia really cared about her—she could just tell with whatever sense she was gifted with. After they hugged, Anacostia showed her to her room. Once Raelle unpacked her stuff, she went for a shower and then they sat together in the lounge and had takeout pizza, and they laughed as Anacostia told her stories about her sister’s kids. Her sister lived right next door, and Anacostia looked after them too.

“You’re kind of amazing,” Raelle told her in awe. “That’s really cool.”

Anacostia rolled her eyes. “Please, now you’re ruining  _ my _ bag girl reputation.”

Raelle snorted so hard as she laughed that she laughed even more. She hadn’t felt this happy in well, ever. Her thoughts immediately went to Scylla, and she let herself smile.

“Hey, Mamacostia, can I—”

“Go to your girl,” Anacostia interrupted her. “Just be safe, please.”

It was so weird. Raelle was used to being told no at all turns. But Anacostia clearly knew there was no keeping her home if Scylla was out there, and she was still strong enough to handle herself. She beamed, gave Anacostia a hug that made her wheeze because she accidentally used a little too much strength, then she was out, running on all fours as she hurried over to Scylla’s.

Scylla was sitting in her window ledge, legs dangling as she waited. Raelle let out a bark of happiness and Scylla smiled softly.

“Oh look, my service dog,” she joked.

Raelle narrowed her glowing eyes and then leaned up against the wall. She was so big that Scylla could easily reach her, and started scratching behind her ears. Raelle let out a huff of content and let her tail go wild.

“I really love how fluffy you are,” Scylla sighed. Her eyes were glittering so prettily. “But could you shift so that I can kiss you?”

Raelle obliged, hands shooting out to grip the ledge to either side of Scylla’s thighs as her body morphed in under a second. Steam curled up from her heated skin.

“What, not into wet doggy kisses?”

Scylla’s nose scrunched. “Ew. Don’t say that.”

She laughed, but Scylla interrupted by tugging her up for a kiss. Scylla was  _ so strong. _ It was so fucking hot, actually. Raelle wasn’t even holding herself up anymore, and she moaned softly against Scylla’s mouth.

“I really love a girl that can just support my whole weight.”

Scylla hummed into the kiss. “Yeah? Well, then you’re gonna love what else I can do.”

Raelle’s entire body tingled with happiness. “And that is?”

Without warning, Scylla pulled her right through the window and they went crashing onto Scylla’s room. They didn’t even feel the fall, and then Raelle was pinned to the floor. She was naked from the shift, and when she blinked the stars from her eyes, she realized that Scylla was somehow just as naked.

“Wait, when did you—?”

Scylla winked. “Vampire speed, remember?”

Raelle tipped her head and saw Scylla’s shredded close right beside them. “Oh my god, you ripped them off?”

“You would have. Just saved the time.”

Raelle let out a little growl of approval, then pushed them over to pin Scylla to the ground. She didn’t seem very pleased when Raelle’s hands locked around her wrists. Scylla pushed back, but while she was faster, Raelle was stronger.

“Taking advantage of a helpless girl?”

Raelle snorted. “You’re definitely not a helpless girl.”

Scylla struggled again, then stopped with a huff. She bit down on her lower lip, exposing one fang. “You have me exactly where you want me,” she said, her tone layered in sex and silk.

Raelle’s brain nearly shut off entirely at the way Scylla’s voice suddenly enraptured her. So, her grip loosened just enough for Scylla to twist them around again, and then she laughed.

“You really want me on my back so bad?”

Scylla smirked down at her. “It’s a lovely view.”

She sat up, stradling Raelle’s lap. The softness of her naked skin made Raelle want to actually weep. The connection between them was pulsing, warm and hot right in Raelle’s chest—and between her legs, too. She could smell Scylla’s arousal, and it made her  _ very _ ravenous.

She grabbed hold of Scylla’s hips and let her fingers press into the softness there. “You’re definitely a lovely view.”

And she truly was. Her darkened eyes, the line of her red, pinkened lips, her jawline, collarbones, the slope of her breasts capped by hard nipples. Raelle loved the flare of her hips. She sat up and Scylla’s arms wrapped around her neck.

“Hey, I love you.”

Scylla nuzzled her throat, where the bite mark still sat, silver and proud. “I love you too.”

Raelle thought about mentioning the vampire intruder, not sure if Scylla knew yet, but then she was pressing hot kisses against Raelle’s throat, tongue darting out to slide against her skin. She shivered violently and all logical thoughts fled from her mind. Scylla guided one of her hands between her legs, and Raelle inhaled sharply when she felt how wet she was.

“We’ll talk later,” Scylla mumbled against her jawline. “No talking.”

Raelle laughed, then groaned when teeth sank into her neck. Scylla sank down onto her fingers, and Raelle let Scylla have her meal and her fun, and when she was done she lifted them both, her fingers still deep inside, and moved them to the bed. There, she was free to do every little dirty thing to Scylla that she wanted.

She traced her fingertips and tongue everywhere. Swirled her tongue around a nipple. Dipped her tongue into her navel. Kissed the tenderness of her thighs. Let her wetness drip from her chin. Scylla raked nails down her back and Raelle nearly howled into the night. They melted nearly completely into each other, just emotion and sensation, one ending where the other started.

And still, Scylla was insatiable. Luckily Raelle had an infinite amount of stamina.

* * *

This was the part Tally hated most. Her heart was thundering so loudly in her ears that she physically had to crouch down low on a branch and murmur a little spell to force her body to relax. Even though she had spent  _ a lot _ of time training so hard sometimes she would throw up or collapse, she was always a little unprepared.

Facing off against a supernatural was frightening. Tally had her magic, but it would do nothing against a snarling wolf or a spiteful vampire. Though it would be difficult for them to sneak up on her, they would be able to move far too quickly for her to really react.

The thick branch creaked beside her, but Tally already knew it was just Abigail.

“Tal,” Abi whispered as quietly as she dared.

Tally let out a slow breath. She was putting their whole unit in danger with her nerves, she knew. All of them had trained their nerves to steel, but Tally was still a little soft in comparison. Abi was so calm she seemed almost stoic, if not for the flash of concern in her eyes.

The moonlight breaking through the trees made her dark skin glow, and Tally felt her chest warm with affection for her childhood friend. Because it was always risky to speak and make too much noise when tracking a supernatural—since their senses were so enhanced—Tally lifted her hands and signed.

_ I’m fine. _

Abi gave her a single nod, then jerked her chin forward.  _ Unit went ahead, _ she communicated.  _ Vampire could be near _ , she signed with her hands.

A little wave of nausea passed through her, but Tally forced it away. They rarely had run-ins so close to Origin Peak, because it was well known as Alder’s and ergo, the wolves' territory. But there were always a few bold enough, and stupid enough, to try and encroach. It was their job to capture whoever had invaded, as quickly as possible. A vampire loose meant that the unsuspecting humans in Origin Peak were in severe danger.

_ I’m fine,  _ Tally signed again.  _ Go ahead. _

Abi nodded, and then she disappeared into the trees so silent that Tally didn’t even hear her. They had specialized gear designed for fighting supernaturals, which allowed them the nauseating privilege of three dimensional maneuvering. The gear was intensely cumbersome to put on, but it was the difference between catching a vampire and having said vampire rip your heart out.

The straps all around her body dug harshly into Tally’s skin, but by now she was already used to it. The tanks on her back were heavy, but her body was a powerhouse, broken and healed continuously over the course of her training. She was only human, and she would need every advantage she could get.

Tally jumped from the branch, shooting her corded anchors into the farthest tree. There was no sound, but she felt the tanks on her back vibrate as they pumped fuel into the gears, and the blade handles in her palms were almost too hot from the friction of the steel cords. The only sound her gear made was when the spiked edges embedded into the tree, and when they were yanked out as she shot them forward again to carry her momentum.

Tally always joked that they had basically become like spiderman. She used to think it would be insanely fun, but it took a lot to get used to. To get over that dizzy feeling of flying so wildly through the air. Now, she had precise control of her body. With just a twitch in the wrong direction, she could throw her weight off and send herself crashing.

Flying was terrifying.

Up ahead, her unit was frozen in a clearing, investigating a fallen animal. Tally landed in a soft roll to absorb her impact, then paused beside everyone else.

_ Definitely vampire, _ Abi signed.

_ Fucking leech, _ another girl signed with a curl to her lip.

Tally kept her annoyance at the rude term to herself. Not all vampires were leeches. It was a derogatory term, and they were forbidden from using it publicly. She knew that the hunter organization had  _ very _ few vampires employed, but they existed. Since Alder had reformed the organization, it had started allowing for supernaturals to enroll as well.

She bent down and gently touched the dead animal’s fur, her heart sinking in sadness for this beautiful deer. Its throat had been ripped out, but not a drop of blood dotted the ground. As soon as her fingers brushed the stiff fur, she let out the softest gasp.

Images rushed at her of the deer’s entire life, from fragile birth to everything after. Her death had at least been swift, and definitely at the teeth of a vampire. When Tally returned to herself, there were tears glittering down her cheeks, but she did not cry. Abi pressed a warm hand of comfort against her shoulder, and she gratefully leaned into the touch.

There was still work to do. She touched the ground where leaves had been flattened by heavy boots, and she had to use every bit of concentration not to see the entire history of this entire forest flash before her eyes. She saw the vampire stalking through the trees, red eyes glittering in the darkness. She saw the kill. Her heart started pounding again.

A second vampire emerged as the first fed, this one looking unimpressed.

“Col,” the second vampire growled. “We aren’t here to eat out.”

The first vampire dropped the now empty deer, licking the blood from her lips. “What? I saw a snack and I’m a little famished.”

“Famished? We ate before we came.”

“Maybe I’m just bored.”

The male vampire’s face darkened, but Col only grinned at him. Her fangs glinted dangerously in the moonlight.

“The little hunters will find your kill soon,” he snarled at her, “we can’t have them figuring out why we’re here.”

Col stood and dusted her hands off. “We already sniffed out the area. Confirmed the halfling.” She spat on the ground in disgust. “We can leave. This town stinks of dog, Maven. My sinus is burning.”

Maven rolled his red eyes. “I don’t know why they send you with me. But you’re right, we have everything we need. By the time they realize anything is amiss, we’ll already be gone.”

Col grinned again. “Until Beltane,” she purred.

At that, Maven grinned with her, but his smile was so broad and wicked that Tally snapped back into herself so quickly she fell backwards, gasping. Hands were on her in an instant, Abi’s the most urgent.

“Tal?”

“They’re gone,” she gasped out. “They knew we’d find the deer.” She met Abi’s eyes. “And whoever they are, they will be back for Beltane.”

Abi’s brows creased together. “Why Beltane? Place will be  crawling with mutts.”

Tally shook her head. “I don’t know, but they mentioned something about a halfling.”

Understanding dawned on all of their faces. Abi helped her up and they started for HQ, to let Anacostia know what they had discovered. They were still on very high alert, but Tally didn’t sense anything nearby.

Did they want Raelle or Scylla? Tally knew that they were likely after Scylla, given what she was. Some older vampires were so pressed about it that they put bounties on born vampire heads. Some covens only accepted new members when presented with a freshly  severed born vampire’s head.

Whatever it was, Beltane wasn’t safe. If they were so cocky to try something during Beltane, where wolves from all over the country were invited to visit in order to meet with Alder, to socialize, and more specifically for born wolves to receive invitations to live and work in Origin Peak, then they must have a dangerous plan.

A plan they  believed would work.

* * *

Maven’s nose burned. He could smell that odd, infuriating scent in the air all around him. It was eminating from the open window of the house they had tagged. He had sent Col back without him and doubled back to do a little extra work on his own. It was a risk, he knew, but he was very curious.

_ What was that scent? _

It sent him mixed signals, and it made him very confused. Was it wolf? Vampire? It had that strange warm undercurrent that belonged to the born, but it was nothing he had ever scented before.

“She was right,” he said quietly to himself. “It is possible.”

How was it that they were bonded? How was it possible at all?

Maven miscalculated. He thought the charm a witch had put a spell on for him would hide his scent and presence, but it failed him rather quickly. He didn’t see or even hear her, not until she was in his face, her fangs bared, her broad face pulled in outright fury.

“Why are you here?” Jacqueline growled threateningly.

Maven smirked at her. He was slammed into the nearby tree, nearly toppling the damn thing. It didn’t hurt, of course, but her fingers sank into his neck and he knew she would rip out his spine if he gave her the chance.

Maven used every bit of strength he possessed and slipped out of her grasp. “So good to see you again, little sister,” he taunted.

She growled. “I am  _ not _ your fucking sister.”

“Nor little,” he conceded, laughing. “I see you’ve awarded yourself well with your fake born daughter. Does she know you are not her real mother? Does she know you ran while her parents were slaughtered?”

Jacqueline easily pinpointed his location in the trees, and she slammed a fist against his sternum. He grunted, sliding backwards. He managed to catch himself against a tree, tearing a chunk right out of it.

“Get the fuck out of my town.”

Maven rubbed at the throbbing spot on his chest. “Your town? Oh, poor Jacqueline, to believe these savage creatures would actually be on your side.”

He was honestly surprised that she hadn’t ripped his head right off the second she saw him. The fury was clear on her face, but she was holding herself back. They stared at each other for a long, charged moment.

Maven knew he fucked up. She was in deep with the hunter fucks of this town, and they would know about his visit. That would be no issue, though. Their plan wouldn’t fail them. It  _ couldn’t _ . There was so much on the line.

Suddenly, she disappeared before his eyes. Despite the fact that he was older, she had always been much faster than him. She was silent, as if she never existed at all. He only managed to catch her scent behind him by pure luck, and he ducked just as she made to twist his head off.

She was done talking, and he needed nothing more. Taunting her had just been for fun.

“I must be off, dear friend,” he laughed. “Or, we were friends, once upon a very long time.” He caught her hateful gaze. There was so much anger and grief there. Curious. Why did she care so much? “Before I killed those traitors with my very own hands.”

He spared one more spiteful grin, then he ran as fast as he could. For a short distance, she chased him, but he used one last charm the witch had made for him. It exploded in a cloud of pink behind him, and it gave him enough time to successfully flee.

It would irritate her senses. She would not be able to track him. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have A LOT on my plate right now and I just simply did not have time to write for STT but I sat down and banged this out just so that I had something to post. I quite like this chapter, be it absolutely tiny. Don't yell at me please I'm exhausted lmao

She is warm, that much she knows, as much as she knows anything. Her knowledge has only stretched as far as her fingers, curled up against her cheeks.

But she is warm, so she is content for now. When the warmth is disturbed, she realizes that there is something missing.

Who is she? Where is she? Where are they?

When she opens her eyes, there is only darkness. When the light does bleed in, it hurts, and so she opts to keep her eyes squeezed shut tight.

Strange shapes move around her, voices and sounds, muffled and far away, yet so near. They sound as if they are under water, yet she is the one submerged.

There is a flutter, there. Deep in her chest. A call—a plea.

_Save me_ , she says, but she does not actually say it, for she cannot.

_Find me,_ she thinks, but she does not actually do this either, because she does not yet know how.

In this warm darkness, where she is enveloped and content sometimes, afraid the next, she is alone. Always surrounded, but alone.

She does not know this, of course. She does not know anything. Not yet.

But she is warm, and that much she knows.


	10. Chapter 10

Abigail was a Bellweather. For centuries, this name was synonymous with victory and might. Many years ago, when the Hunter Organization was still doing just that—hunting—the Bellweathers were always at the frontlines, always slaying the most supernaturals. Abigail didn’t agree with how this organization had killed without restraint, but she thought that they were definitely too relaxed now. 

To allow supernaturals into the organization? It was absurd to her. They were created with the sole intent of regulating these people that went against nature in _their_ creation. It made her weary, and worse yet, they were now run entirely by a werewolf. How could they trust a wolf to have the best interests of humans at heart? 

Alder only cared about one thing—her people. Beltane was proof of that. 

After the incident with the vampire invader, they were put on shift patrol. Since Abigail’s class were still technically in school and in training, they hadn’t done patrol seriously yet. But now they were, and it was stressful.

The supernaturals were incredibly fast and strong, and it would take one of them just half a second to rip her heart out. She wouldn’t even know they were there until she dropped to her knees, and that scared her. She wouldn’t admit that, though. 

Tally dropped down quietly beside her, and Abigail let her muscles relax only slightly.

“Still clear this side?”

Abigail nodded. “No movement. No tracks. We haven’t had an intruder since.”

“They’ll probably try something tomorrow at Beltane. I’m sad we’ll have to miss it this year.”

Abigail stared out at the trees. It was dark, but she could see clear enough. “Why do you care? It’s a wolf festival.”

“Uh, because there’s amazing food and entertainment, and the wolves are actually really fun. They’re very reckless and impulsive.”

“Tal,” Abigail gave her a searching look, “why are you so comfortable with them?”

“Who? The wolves?” She shrugged. “They’re people, just like us.”

“Yeah, people who can rip our throats out.”

They started walking to sweep around the area and meet up with the rest of their unit to check in. “Abi, every person on earth is capable of hurting. Wolves aren’t guaranteed to hurt just because they’re stronger and sharper than us.”

Abigail snorted. “Right. Like your new best friend?” She didn’t intend for it to come out as bitter as it did, and Tally must have seen right through her. Tally put a hand on her arm to bring them to a stop.

“Abi, are you... jealous?”

Abigail tugged her arm free. “No. I just don’t like supernaturals. It’s bad enough we have one of each here. And they’re, what, dating now?”

“I think they’re adorable. You should really sit with us sometime.”

“I think I’ll really not.” She hated the little frown Tally gave her, so she walked on again. She hoped the conversation was over.

Did it sting a little, that Tally was spending more time with some supernaturals instead of her? Yeah. Was she aware that Tally invited her over numerous times and yet she rejected the invitations? Also, yeah. 

“Why do you hate them so much?” Tally asked after catching up with her, and the look she gave told Abigail that she wouldn’t accept a lame excuse.

“I don’t hate them,” she corrected. “But I’m a Bellweather. My family have been fighting them for centuries.”

“It’s the 21st Century, Abi. You don’t need to keep your family’s violent legacy going. It’s really okay to see them as just people and maybe befriend one or two.”

She hated that Tally was sort of right, but she would never admit that. “It’s the 21st century,” she shot back. “I can choose who I want to be friends with or not.”

Before Tally could bring it up again, she hurried through the trees. They met up with their unit and confirmed that things were still alright, and then one of the senior teams showed up to relieve them. 

It was a relief to get home and remove all of the gear and the tight uniform. Her skin had chafed badly, and she was already developing bruises and blisters. Trainees weren’t used to this, not quite yet. After school, they would head on to college and begin practical training. Essentially, what they were doing now. Once they graduated from college, then they would be official hunters and they would be dispatched all over the world wherever hunters were needed. Sometimes they guarded borders, solved crimes committed by supernaturals, actually hunted them down or helped them. 

Laying in bed, Abigail thought about what Tally had said, about making friends with one. She thought about the wolf girl, Raelle, and she couldn’t help but scoff. 

Friends? With a mutt? No thanks. 

It puzzled her how the vampire could be into her, and how Tally seemed to like them so much. Wasn’t she disgusted by them? Frightened? Scylla was a predator that was designed to hunt and kill humans. Raelle was designed to hunt and kill, too. They were all from completely different worlds, and there was no way that they could co-exist. Tally had her head in the clouds, where she always had it.

Abigail was afraid that she would come crashing down one day, and if that happened, she might not survive. Abigail just had to be on top of her game, to be there to catch her when she inevitably fell.

* * *

Scylla had never met any of the members from the coven she was born into. Jack told her everything she could about them, and even showed her pictures, just in case she ever ran into them due to chance or them seeking her out. Scylla knew their stories, their faces and their personalities. 

Knowing Maven had been so close to her made her blood boil. It infuriated her to the point that she couldn’t control her strength and kept breaking things. 

Maven was the man who had happily executed her parents on the night of her birth. The saddest thing was, he was Jack’s closest friend. He had found her, brought her to the coven and helped to train her. Jack would never really admit it, but Scylla knew that she had taken the betrayal badly. 

Jack acted all cold, but she was really soft hearted. She felt a lot of emotions, and she felt them deeply. Scylla was always in awe of her, how she kept her heart on her sleeve like that, even though that left it so easy to break. 

It was likely that the coven were planning to attack during Beltane. No one knew why they were doing this or what their plans were beyond Beltane, but it made sense.

What if they never stopped looking for her? What if they’d finally found her, and now this was it? 

Scylla considered her options. Jack did, as well. The obvious one was to run. Pack up, leave during the night and never return. Scylla idly considered leaving Raelle for her own safety, but physically, she couldn’t. Just the thought opened a giant hole in her chest and left her feeling like she couldn’t breathe. 

No. Where she went, Raelle went as well, and she couldn’t ask her to go on the run like that. 

The second option was to find them first and fight them. But that was too difficult considering their lack of information and the lack of time. Beltane was already upon them. The timing was all off. 

So, there was only the third option left. To stay, to carry on as usual and wait for them to act first. Scylla wasn’t afraid for her life. She was strong, and Jack had trained her to fight since the moment she could pick up her fists. 

She remembered being frightened and confused when she was really young, not sure why Jack was doing this. Now, she was grateful. She could knock Jack on her ass, and if she could do that, she could fight anyone. 

“Never underestimate them,” Jack told her sternly. “It’s been a few years since I saw them last. Anything can change in any amount of years.”

So, Scylla had her guard up. The safest place to be was actually at the centre of the festival, so that was where she decided to hang out. It was already late morning, and wolves were pouring into Origin Peak from all over. Buses stopped to offload them, they ran here through the trees and the market area was flooded. There were tables all crammed together selling many different types of food and drinks. People were meeting each other, some old friends, some new, and chatting and dancing and laughing. 

This wasn’t her first Beltane here, but this time it was a little different. Now she could actually appreciate it, considering who she was bonded to. 

Since the wolves started arriving, many of them sent her puzzled looks. They could smell wolf on her, but also not, and it was confusing. There was no denying that she was a born vampire, so they were weary of her. Many wolves still hated her kind, and that was whatever. They weren’t allowed to fight during Beltane. It was a time for food, friendship and fucking. At least, that’s what Scylla liked to think. When the sun went down, tents would pop up all over the town, in fields and parking lots, in yards and in alleyways, and wolves of all kind would re-ignite passionate affairs or start new ones. 

There was the occasional human that partook as well, either unknowingly or very knowingly. Most of them stayed in doors, though. Not interested in what they thought was just a yearly music festival. If they ever realized how much fucking was happening in just one night, they didn’t say anything.

Scylla thought that maybe the humans in Origin Peak were well aware that strange stuff happened here, but were just happy to ignore it. 

Hunter presence had increased a lot, with plenty of wolf hunters being stationed here during the festivities. They were disguised as Alder’s personal security force, not police. This town was unique in that they had no police, just the hunters. 

Scylla was sitting on one of the many benches that were sprinkled around the market square, and she felt lonely for a short moment as people moved all around her. It never used to bother her before, really. How people would avoid her and give her space. But now? It just made her a little sad. 

“You smell fucking weird.”

Scylla went rigid. The wolf’s scent hit her, too earthy and a little bit disgusting. She glanced over her shoulder to see a tall wolf staring down at her in curiosity. She had brown skin dotted with freckles and astonishingly golden eyes. Her ears were pointed at the edges and when she grinned, her teeth were long.

A turned wolf. Scylla sighed. 

“I’ve noticed.”

The wolf sat down next to her, bringing more of that unbearable scent. Scylla wrinkled her nose, but she tried not to be too rude. The stranger, however, had no such concerns. She pressed her nose into Scylla’s hair and inhaled deeply. She immediately jerked away and sneezed a multitude of times. When she recovered, her nose was red and she was laughing.

“Fuck, you smell worse so close. I can’t tell if it’s actually awful or not.”

Scylla stared at her. “What are you doing?”

She rubbed a hand against her nose. “Curious, is all. You’re the born vampire, right? What’s your name?”

Scylla wasn’t used to this, being approached and talked to. Many of the others were still shooting glances her way, too uncertain or afraid or disgusted to do what this strange wolf was doing.

“Scylla,” she finally answered.

The wolf held her hand out. “Scylla? That’s fucking hilarious.”

“Excuse me?”

Those golden eyes blinked, and Scylla thought the colour was shifting and swirling. They were glowing brightly, and then she was grinning again. “Do you have a sibling named Charybdis anywhere? That would be super hilarious.”

She exhaled, no longer offended and just amused that this stranger knew her Greek mythology. “No, just me. I’m the only monster in town.”

“Nah, not the only. I’m Ymir.”

Scylla finally accepted her hand, impressed that she’d kept it hanging as she waited. Scylla expected her to shake her hand roughly, but she didn’t. Her grip was firm and warm, then gone. Wolves really were just too damn hot. 

“Ymir?” She couldn’t believe it, then she laughed. “Tell me, how was it to be formed from the ice of Niflheim and the heat of Muspelheim?”

Ymir’s eyes twinkled. “Ah, she knows her Norse Mythology.”

“Given my name, I researched a lot.”

“Me too. I’m actually not that old. I haven’t been turned that long. My parents were just weird. What about yours?”

Scylla shrugged. “No clue. My guardian named me and she’s definitely very old, and very weird.”

Ymir laughed. “Word. So, what are you doing here, Scylla? You’re not a wolf. This is Beltane.” She sniffed the air again, tentatively. “You have such a weird scent, I almost mistook you for a wolf.”

“I’ve mated to a wolf.”

Ymir’s eyes widened. “No shit, seriously?”

“Yeah.” 

Ymir glanced around them, as if searching for something. Scylla realized it was _someone_ when she caught the scent of a vampire nearby, and then a girl appeared in front of them. She was beautiful, with pale skin and long blonde hair. From her scent, Scylla could tell that she was a born vampire as well. It shocked her to the core, to be near another one so suddenly. She blinked at her, shocked, then turned to look at Ymir. 

Her heart started pounding, getting ready for a fight. If Ymir wanted to brawl with this girl, Scylla would dive in and stop them. Her fears were for nothing, though.

“There you are,” Ymir purred, then she reached out and took the girl’s hand. She tugged her close and they brushed noses. 

“Are you bothering people, Ymir?” the girl asked her with a lifted brow.

Scylla got the sense that if Ymir’s tail had been out, it would have been wagging. 

“Only pretty half vampire girls.”

The girl looked at her, but she was smiling. She held her hand out. “I’m Historia.”

Scylla laughed. “Scylla. We should form a club and call it Strange Names Anonymous.”

Historia laughed at her joke. Scylla couldn’t stop staring at her, at the veins underneath her pale skin and the red glow of her eyes. Her ears were only slightly pointed, but she could still pass herself off as a human. Her heart beat just as slow as Scylla’s, and still faster than the turned. It was overwhelming. Scylla thought she was the only one. 

“Scylla, would you say that I could give Historia my mating bite?”

Scylla was brought out of her thoughts. Ymir was looking at her seriously and Historia looked surprised.

“Ymir, what are you talking about?” Historia asked.

Scylla considered it. “I don’t think it would be wise to try.” She pulled her shirt aside at her shoulder to show the silver bite mark. “She’s a born wolf. When I fed from her, I got really sick. I needed her bite or I would have died. But, we’re both born. You’re turned, Ymir. Your bite would probably kill her.”

Disappointment crashed over Ymir’s face, enough to make Scylla’s own heart ache. Historia gently cupped Ymir’s face, and then she was saying something softly to her, and Scylla tuned it out to give them privacy. They kissed, and it was shatteringly sweet, and Scylla needed Raelle.

The two of them excused themselves and disappeared, hands linked. Many wolves sent them disgusted looks, and others were curious. It was sad, how they were still hated for things they didn’t control. It was clear that Ymir and Historia genuinely loved each other, and that gave Scylla hope.

Hope for a future where things were different, and they could all just live as who they were, loving who they wanted, in peace. 

Raelle was here somewhere. She had disappeared to talk to Anacostia about the vampire intruders and Scylla hadn’t felt like going with her. But where was she? She headed into the crowd to follow the thread she could feel in her chest. It would lead her to Raelle quickly.

Or, it would have, if a group of wolves hadn’t suddenly stepped in her path.

“There she is,” one of them growled. He was big, with three stripes of a scar across his jaw and lips. His eyes were glowing a bright green, and in them Scylla only saw hatred. He scented the hair. “You really did mate with a wolf.”

Scylla rolled her eyes. “Yeah, so?”

He stared down at her, eyes narrowed. “It’s unnatural.”

She started to laugh. “A turned werewolf is really going to tell me what is and isn’t natural? Unlike your kind, we’re both born. We’re as natural as it gets.”

He didn’t like her tone, but when he took a step closer another wolf stepped in and pushed him back. This one was a female wolf, born. 

“Back off, Gus.”

Gus growled at her. “Fuck off, Tyler.”

Tyler glanced over her shoulder at Scylla. “You okay?” Her expression and tone were kind.

Scylla kind of just wanted to disappear. She really could. She was way faster than them, and by the time they noticed she was gone she’d already be by Raelle. But she was really annoyed. The little bit of good she’d felt thanks to Ymir and Historia was gone, and Gus’ disgusted stare was really getting underneath her skin. 

“I can handle this on my own, thank you.”

Tyler’s eyes widened, then she nodded and walked away. She didn’t seem offended, but she did stop close by to watch. Gus scoffed and dusted his shirt off as if she had dirtied him. 

“I swear, all you—”

Scylla had him down on his back before he could even finish his sentence. “We’re not allowed to fight during Beltane,” she snarled at him, her eyes changing, veins bulging in anger. She twisted his arm until the bone cracked. “But I’ll break every bone in your body.”

He roared loudly, then he shifted into his wolf form suddenly and Scylla jumped back to avoid his claws. It was also prohibited to shift in public like this, especially during the day. Clearly he didn’t care. Scylla wasn’t afraid, even when he growled loudly and bared his massive teeth at her. If he got his mouth around her throat, he’d rip her head clean off.

He dove for her, eyes wild with anger, but then another massive wolf slammed into him. Raelle dug her nails into the ground, pivoted and came to a stop right in front of Scylla. She let out a growl that was deafening, then she challenged each and every wolf there. The festival had nearly stopped entirely, with all eyes on them. Many wolves were growling themselves, their instincts kicking in, but they weren’t moving. 

They weren’t accepting her challenge. She was probably furious enough that they didn’t feel like getting into it. 

_Climb on me_ , Raelle said in a thought. As soon as Scylla did so, Raelle turned and ran off. The hunters swarmed the area seconds later, arresting Gus and reminding everyone there of the rules of Beltane. Raelle had gotten them out just in time.

* * *

Once they left the market, Raelle took them behind the school building nearby. The forest here was heavily patrolled, so they would be safe here.

Raelle shifted back while she was still running, but she twisted around to catch Scylle in her arms bridal style. When she straightened with a grin, Scylla was looking at her as if she wasn’t impressed and turned on.

“Think you’re hot, huh?”

Raelle brushed their noses. “Smouldering.”

Scylla laughed and kissed her hard. Raelle growled softly in her chest, partly in delight and partly in possessiveness. When they pulled apart, she set Scylla down to make sure she was okay.

“I could smell the aggression,” she explained. “And then I felt the emotions from you, and I figured someone was trying to be macho.”

“I handled him.”

“You could have waited for me.”

Scylla caressed the bite mark on Raelle’s neck. “Yeah, but it was fun throwing him onto his ass.” 

Raelle laughed, delighted. She still felt very nervous. So far, no one else had invaded Origin Peak. The hunters were on top of their game and very focused on protecting everyone for Beltane. It made it a little difficult that so many wolves were here, but that would at least deter vampires if they were in the area.

But then again, these vampires, whoever they were, clearly had an agenda. 

“Where are your clothes?” Scylla swept her eyes over Raelle’s body. “Not that I’m complaining.”

Raelle realized that she was just standing there, naked. “Oh, fuck. I shredded them when I turned to protect you.”

Scylla started to laugh. Raelle just wanted to pull Scylla into her arms and never let her go. She was just about to do that, but something stung her neck and she flinched.

“Ouch, fuck.” She lifted a hand to the spot and felt something hard. Scylla cried out in pain as well. Raelle tried to ask her what was wrong, but the world suddenly tilted. 

She collapsed, completely paralysed. From the treeline figures emerged. They were human. Raelle couldn’t smell them. Couldn’t hear them, but she felt their grips as they picked her and Scylla up. 

Her vision swam. She tried to stay awake with every bit of strength inside of her, but the drug was powerful. 

Drugs didn’t work on them. Shouldn’t work on them.

They were dragged through the trees, past a hunter unit that were slaughtered, and out to the highway. There was a large van there, and when it opened a man was inside. His blonde hair was frazzled, unbrushed. His expression was ecstatic.

“Quick,” he told them, his voice deep and scratchy. “We must be quick.”

After that, the world went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any theories on why they're targeting Beltane and Raylla? Who's targeting them??


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter! But not the end of the story. Please make sure to read my end note.

Jack was old. Sometimes she forgot exactly how old, and sometimes her age was too apparent. She remained unmoving while the world changed and evolved around her. Sometimes she was just a statue, frozen in place.

From the moment Scylla had been placed into Jack’s arms, a little miracle with her bloody fists and offended wailing, Jack’s entire world changed.

She went from living between each meal, to mapping every breath Scylla took. Scylla taught her what it was to truly live.

And so, when Anacostia arrived at her home, with her face grim and tears behind those ever-stoic eyes, Jack felt as though, for just a moment, her heart had stopped completely.

“I don’t know how they got through,” Anacostia was saying, but her voice sounded as though it was under water. Jack could only stare at her. “Jack, I’m so—” Anacostia paused, took a breath. “We will get them back, I promise.”

Jack accidentally ripped the door off its hinges, but she barely noticed. She didn’t flinch as the door collapsed behind her.

“I don’t understand,” she said, brows knitted together.

Anacostia reached out and gently took her cold hand. Her touch was warm, gentle. It brought with it a shock of reality and understanding.

Jack’s breath hitched. It hadn’t done so in hundreds of years.

“Five hours ago, a unit of hunters were severely injured. Thankfully none were actually killed. Somehow, someone snuck in. We set every precaution, but they still got in. Witnesses state that they were last seen together near the school, but after that, they disappeared.”

Jack’s nostrils flared. She had to focus everything on not accidentally breaking Anacostia’s hand with just a twitch of her own.

“Who took them?”

Anacostia almost hesitated, but she pulled a crumbled note from her pocket. She handed it over and Jack stared at it, quiet fury building inside of her.

The note was simple. On it, she recognized her old coven’s crest, the outline of a bat with three claw marks across it. Below the crest there was just a single sentence:

**‘The dawn of the daywalkers begins, with the sacrifice of the born and the gifted.’**

Jack swallowed, exhaled. “My coven,” she managed to spit out. “This is their crest.”

Anacostia nodded. She already knew. “Alder has been informed,” she added quietly. “She’s on her way back.”

Jack nodded, and Anacostia left to do whatever duties fell to her as interim commander in Alder’s place. In the absence of her, Jack went into Scylla’s room.

Considering a world in which Scylla wasn’t in it was almost too painful for Jack to bear. She wanted to scream and wail, to punch holes into the wall and rip doors from their hinges. She did none of that.

Instead, she sat down in the middle of Scylla’s room and she closed her eyes, and she plotted every single thing she was going to do to every member of her old coven that had dared take Scylla and her mate.

Every. Vicious. Thing.

They would _rue_ the day they fucked with her family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that's it for now! I've decided to end part 1 here. I will be continuing with this in my free time with no schedule. I was really pressured to write this fic, and when the interaction and hype died down, I lost all motivation. 
> 
> I also went through a lot of bad shit which made putting my all into this fic very difficult. I wasn't able to just sit with it and figure out where I wanted it to go, and I ended up just writing it for the sake of getting it out there. So I will work on part 2 and post it in its entirety when its finished. 
> 
> I don't know how many of you will be patient enough to wait for it, but I'm past the point of caring so much. You'll wait, I'll write, and when it's out, it's out. Thank you for reading so far, I really appreciate all the support I got for this fic. I've spent years writing for a tiny ship that had a tiny fandom, and the massive response to this fic was unexpected, but a delight.
> 
> Again, thank you, to all of you <3


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